Here For You
by Julian Dimera
Summary: Chill fanfic. The story starts during the summer of 2011, but things are different from the show. Most of the things that occurred after EJ and Sami's almost wedding was Sami's coma dream.
1. Chapter 1  Moving On

**Chapter 1: Moving In – Saturday, June 25th, 2011**

After unpacking and setting up his new room at the Brady Pub, Will came down the stairs to be greeted by his great-grandmother at the bar. "Are you done already?"

Will took a deep breath and nodded his head. "Yeah, don't have everything where I want it yet, but I think I am done for the day."

Caroline smiled. "Perfect timing," she exclaimed as she pulled Will over to a table to sit. "I was just about to bring up some fresh baked cookies and milk to you." Caroline brought out a tray with cookies and two glasses of milk. She placed them on the table and put the tray away. Will smiled at Caroline because she was trying her hardest to keep his spirits up. Unfortunately, all he could think about was his mother moving back into the Dimera mansion to be with EJ. "You're thinking about your mother, aren't you?"

Will knew there was no point in denying anything. His great-grandmother could always read him. Will picked up a cookie and started fiddling with it. "Yeah, I am still frustrated that my mom needs a man to define her life…. to define her happiness." Will finally took a bite out of the cookie.

"Well, to be fair, your mother's relationship with Rafe ended six months ago. It could be worse."

Will agreed as he took a sip of milk. "Don't get me wrong. I am so glad that Rafe is no longer a part of mom's life. After the truth came out about his part in his ex-fiancé's death, I'm glad that he's locked away. I know EJ has changed, I just wish mom would live her life solo for a while before deciding to move back into the Dimera mansion. I don't want to see her get sucked into a dangerous situation again. Of course, she won't listen to me."

Caroline put her hand on Will's and held it. "I am proud of you, Will. I think it's good that you decided not to move into that crazy place. The Dimeras really cannot be trusted and your mother needs to realize that fact for herself." Caroline noticed that Will seemed to not want to talk about that anymore. She watched as he ate another cookie. "So how is Gabi doing since Rafe was sentenced last week? I bet that's got to be hard for her… and hard for you."

Will tried to shrug it off as he finished a cookie. "I don't know. She's still upset about the whole situation. I think she's still in shock that her brother killed Emily. I really don't talk to her about what he tried to do to mom. I figured it's best not to talk about it. I don't want to upset her." Caroline noticed that Will seemed unhappy when he talked about Gabi.

Will's phone began to ring as he drank the rest of his milk. After placing the glass back on the table, Will pulled out his phone to see who it was. "It's Gabi." He ignored the call and put the phone back in his pocket. "I really don't have the energy to talk to her right now. I think I should go upstairs to take a short nap."

Caroline patted Will's hand and watched him head upstairs. "Poor kid… He's more like his mother than he thinks."

* * *

><p>At the Dimera Mansion, Stefano had called Chad down to talk to him. Chad walked into the living room, Stefano greeted him eagerly. "Oh, good. You are here."<p>

"Well, father, what do you want?"

"What do you want?" Stefano started. "What kind of greeting is that? How about, 'Hello father, how are you doing today?'" Stefano threw his hands at Chad and figured it was pointless. "I asked you to come down because I just got news from EJ that…" Stefano was interrupted by laughs that came through the front door. Sami and EJ made their way into the living room with Johnny and Sydney.

Chad looked around suspiciously when he noted that Sami had luggage behind her. "What's going on?"

EJ smiled. "I am guessing father didn't tell you that Samantha's moving in. We're going to have the whole family under one roof again." Stefano rolled his eyes at EJ's excitement and poured himself a drink.

"So is Will moving in as well?" Chad got a bit excited.

Sami got a bit uncomfortable and put Sydney down on the couch. "No, Will's not moving in. He's a bit upset with me right now, but I'm sure he'll come around." Sami forced a smile.

"Let's stop talking about the depressing stuff and get things settled upstairs. I'll have Harold come down and grab your stuff." Sami picked up Sydney again and headed upstairs with EJ and Johnny.

Chad was a bit disappointed that Will was not moving in, but was happy for EJ. Chad turned towards Stefano and noticed he was pouring himself another drink. "Are you going to be okay with all of this?"

"What does it look like? If I've learned anything over the years, it's that a relationship with a Brady is toxic. My son had the misfortune of falling in love with Samantha Brady, which is even worse in my book. Chad, whatever you do, stay away from the Brady women. They will steal your soul."

Chad enjoyed watching Stefano get worked up over Sami. "Noted. What about the Hortons?"

"Stay away from them as well. The Dimeras and the Hortons do not mix either. It's best if you find someone that will fit in with our family. Someone that is not judgmental or 'holier than thou.'"

Chad knew that Stefano was warning him against Abigail. "Well, on that note, I am heading to Lexie's for dinner."

"Tell Alexandra and Theodore hello for me. Oh, and Abraham as well."

"Will do." Chad walked out deciding to make a quick stop before heading to Lexie's house.

* * *

><p>After a shower and getting dressed, Dario walked out of his bedroom and found Gabi sitting alone on the couch. Heading over to her, he asked, "What are you doing? Why are you sitting alone? You should be out with your friends or Will."<p>

Gabi sighed and looked up at her brother. "Well, I tried to call Will earlier, but he did not answer. I think he might feel awkward around me because of Rafe. I don't know what to do about it."

Dario took a seat next to his sister. "Well, it's understandable that he might not know what to say or how to respond to you. Rafe really messed up and the things he pulled on Sami was not good. If Will really cares about you, he'll get over it and realize that what our stupid brother did has nothing to do with you as a person."

"¿Y nosotros? What about us? Are we supposed to get over it?" Gabi was clearly annoyed as she sat back in the couch and crossed her arms over her chest.

Dario got up. "Well, eventually. We do have to move on with our lives and not let what Rafe did get in the way of us living our lives. I know it sucks right now. Rafe is going to be in prison for a while. Hopefully he'll get some help, but there's nothing we can do at this point. Just like when Arianna went to prison, she got better by herself."

"What Rafe did was so much worse. He killed Emily and almost killed Sami. Rafe has been lying to us for years. Things are not going to get better."

"Well, I don't know what to tell you." Dario put his hands down feeling defeated. He sat down next to Gabi again knowing that he could not leave things this way. "I promise you. Things will get better. We will get through this as a family. We always have." He gave Gabi a hug. "You should call Will again. I have to go in for work, so I'll be back late tonight."

Gabi hugged her brother back and watched as he left. She picked up her cell phone and debated on whether she should call Will again.

* * *

><p>Melanie checked her hair in the mirror on the wall of the Horton living room. She turned around and thanked Abigail for inviting her to dinner with her family. Abigail smiled. "Oh, I am excited that you agreed to come. I know that my Uncle Justin and Aunt Adrienne love you, so they'll be happy you came as well."<p>

Melanie was a bit surprised to hear that Justin and Adrienne were going to be there. "You didn't tell me it was a big family gathering. I thought it was going to be you, your mother, and me." Melanie noticed Abigail had a guilty look on her face. "Why do I have a feeling that there's more you're not telling me?"

"Okay, but you have to promise you won't back out," Abigail admitted. "My cousin, Sonny will be there. He's Justin and Adrienne's youngest son. He's a great guy."

"Wait. Are you trying to set me up with your cousin?"

"I promise you! You'll like him!" Abigail grabbed Melanie's arms to make her look at her. "He's a great guy… and he has a good heart."

Melanie rolled her eyes and sarcastically responded. "Oh, a great guy with a good heart. Sounds like something I really need in my life right now." Abigail lightly slapped Melanie on the arm, when the doorbell rang.

Jennifer came down the stairs and saw the two girls standing in the living room. "Were you two expecting anyone?"

Abigail and Melanie shook their heads. "No. Chad told me that he had plans tonight."

Jennifer made her way to the door and opened it to find Nathan Horton on the other side. Jennifer stepped back in surprise. "Nathan, what are you doing here?"

Nathan smiled. "I couldn't stay away. I had to come back to where I belong."

"Come in. Make yourself at home." Jennifer helped Nathan bring in his bags into the living room where Melanie and Abigail were waiting. Melanie and Nathan immediately made eye contact surprised to see the other there. To avoid any awkwardness they quickly looked away from each other. Nathan noticed that they were dressed to go out and asked if they were going out. "Yeah, sorry. We are going out to meet Adrienne, Justin, and Sonny."

"How about you come with us? We still have a while before we have to leave."

Melanie stepped in and looked at Abigail. "I'm sure Nathan is tired from his trip back." Nathan agreed with Melanie.

"I insist. You should come. The more the merrier, right mom?" Jennifer shook her head and smiled at Nathan. "You have to come."

Melanie began to bite her fingernail as she watched Nathan give in and accept. He was avoiding eye contact with her and that made her feel even more nervous about dinner. She still could not believe that he was back.

* * *

><p>Back at the Brady Pub, Chad walked in hoping to talk to Will. He wanted to make sure that Will was okay. He spotted Caroline wiping the bar down and headed over. "Is Will around?"<p>

Caroline was surprised to see Chad. "Oh. Hey Chad. He's not in at the moment. I think he went out with Gabi somewhere." She looked down and continued wiping the bar. Chad stood there awkwardly unsure of what to say next. Caroline noticed and stopped wiping the bar. "How are things with you and Stefano? Is he showing you the Dimera ways?"

Chad could not tell if Caroline was honestly curious or if she was trying to get rid of him. "It's great. He's been a good father and has really welcomed me into the family. He accepts me for me."

Chad watched as Caroline's eyebrow went up. "Well, I'll tell Will that you stopped by." Caroline continued with wiping down the bar.

Taking a hint, Chad turned around to leave. As he headed towards the door, Kate walked in. When Kate spotted him, she had a surprised look on her face. Chad knew better. "You can drop the act, Kate. I'm guessing my dear old dad asked you to follow me." He continued with outstretched arms, "As you can see, Abigail is nowhere in sight."

Kate put her hand on her hip as Chad dropped his. "Now Chad. I think you've got this all wrong. I just came in here to grab a quick coffee. I had no idea that you were going to be here, so no need to be paranoid."

"So if I was here with Abigail, you wouldn't call up Stefano and tell him? I know you don't like that I am seeing her."

"Chad, let me clear things up for you. Your father and I want you to be happy. While Abigail is a very attractive young woman, she is just so… what's an appropriate word…" Kate tapped her finger on her chin. "…square. I think it would be beneficial if you thought outside of the box."

Chad shook his head. "Yeah. I think this conversation just got a bit weirder. Didn't know that was possible. Look, I don't mean to be rude, but I should be going. I'm going to be late." Chad left without a goodbye.

Kate made her way to the bar and ordered her usual. Thinking to herself, she wondered what Chad saw in Abigail. The girl was a bit judgmental. Kate knew she needed to do something to keep Chad and Abigail apart. Caroline walked over with Kate's coffee. Having seen the whole scene between Chad and Kate, Caroline knew what Kate was thinking. After handing the coffee to Kate, Caroline started, "You may be Stefano's wife, but that does not make you Chad's mother. Maybe you should let the poor kid just live his life. Haven't you ruined your own kids' lives enough?" Caroline walked off.

Annoyed, Kate shook her head to adjust her hair. She looked back at Caroline and mouthed the word "bitch" as she walked off.

* * *

><p>Will rolled around in his bed when his phone started to ring. He scooted over to the night stand and grabbed his phone. It was Gabi again. He decided he probably should pick up this time. With a groggy voice, Will said hello. Gabi questioned Will's not answering his phone earlier. "Sorry, I was taking a nap. How about I grab us some takeout and bring it over?" After Gabi agreed, Will hung up the phone and sat up in bed. Rubbing his eyes, he questioned his relationship with Gabi.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2 Dinner

**Chapter 2: Dinner – Saturday, June 25th, 2011**

Dining at the Penthouse Grille, Adrienne, Justin, and Jennifer were laughing and discussing work on one side of the table. On the other side, Abigail was making Melanie blush quite a bit as she talked Melanie up to her cousin, Sonny. "Melanie is probably my favorite nurse to work with at the hospital. I think she's everyone's favorite."

"Thanks, Abigail. You are too kind." Melanie was trying to stop Abigail from saying more.

Luckily, Sonny interjected and gave Melanie this odd look. "Wait… Melanie…" he said contemplating who she was. "You're the one that married and divorced my dad's cousin, Philip, right?"

Melanie suddenly turned extremely red in the face and nodded her head as she sunk in her chair. Nathan smiled inside noting that Abigail was trying to hook Melanie and Sonny Kiriakis together. He said under his breath, "He's got that Kiriakis money in his corner."

Nathan did not expect that anyone would hear him. Sonny shot up and looked at Nathan. "What did you say?" Nathan shook it off and claimed he was just holding back a cough. He let out a fake cough to cover his lie. Sonny smiled at Nathan. "Nathan Horton, you seem to be a funny guy. I think we would get along great."

Abigail then interrupted Sonny and Nathan's 'moment'. "I think that you and Melanie would get along great. She's hilarious. I mean, there was this one time that we were walking down the stairs and she totally bit it." Abigail forced a small laugh.

At this point, Adrienne, Justin, and Jennifer became aware of what Abigail was doing. Justin and Adrienne traded glances at each other and their son as Abigail continued to talk Melanie up. "Oh, and you can't really blame her for divorcing Philip. Philip completely cheated on her."

Melanie sunk lower in her chair. Jennifer looked at her daughter realizing how uncomfortable the atmosphere had become. She said in a loud enough whisper, "Abigail Deveraux, I do not think this is proper table talk."

Slightly embarrassed, Abigail shrugged her shoulders. "I was just saying…"

* * *

><p>Gabi and Will sat on the couch of the apartment that she shared with her brother Dario. Gabi and Will had been silently eating their takeout without even a glance at each other. Will tried to play it off as if he was just really hungry and really into his food. Gabi finally started staring at Will to make him look at her. She was trying so hard that she accidentally dropped some of her noodles on her shirt. "Crap." Gabi finally broke the silence as she looked at her shirt.<p>

"What's wrong?" Will slowly glanced at Gabi.

"I dropped noodles on my shirt." Gabi put her food on the end table, grabbed a napkin, and wiped her shirt. After she was done, she looked at Will contemplating whether she should tell him what was on her mind. Will gave an uneasy smile. "So Rafe wants me to come visit him and I don't know what to do."

Will was a bit thrown by Gabi's statement because of the way she moved right into her 'problem of the day'. Will wanted to admit that he did not feel comfortable talking about Rafe, but knew that Gabi would get upset if he did. Instead, Will put down his food, took Gabi's hand in his, and looked in her eyes. "What exactly did Rafe say when he asked you?"

Gabi scooted closer to Will and moved in so that she could lean against Will's chest. "When I saw that he was calling me, I felt guilty because part of me did not want to answer, but he's my brother and family is supposed to be there through it all. So I picked up and, of course, he starts telling me that he's going to get out soon, but wants me to come visit him while he's in there. He wanted to know he still had the love and support of his family."

"What did you say?"

"Well, I couldn't answer right away. I just kept remembering how much he changed when things did not work out between your mom and him. How he became this darker person who could not handle the rejection." Gabi was clearly getting worked up as she continued. "Then I remember when we found out that he drugged your mom and put her in that coma. Sami was mortified and did not want to believe it. No one did, but his later actions proved otherwise. Am I supposed to love him or hate him?"

Will tried to calm Gabi down because she seemed to get more upset as she talked about the situation. He did not understand why she was still so upset about this when it happened so long ago. "Yeah, Rafe is your brother, but it seems to me that he's only using you. Gabi, you need to make a decision and then let it go."

"I'm trying Will! You don't think I am trying?" Gabi began to cry and speak in Spanish. Will pulled her in and began apologizing. Gabi buried her face in Will's chest. Will knew he was way in over his head. He looked down at Gabi and felt sorry for her. At one time she was his best friend, but now things were a bit strained. He knew part of it was due to what her brother did to his family, but the pressure she put on him at times was the other part.

After a while, Gabi wiped away the last tear off her face and made eye contact with Will. She went for a kiss and Will gave in for a second, but pulled away. Gabi realized that Will probably needed a little convincing. "Dario is gone for the night. We could..."

The pressure was back. Will interrupted, "I would, but I already promised my great-grandma that I would help her close the pub." Will awkwardly got off the couch and Gabi. "I'll call you tomorrow." Will gave Gabi a peck on the cheek and made his way out the door. Gabi sat there confused as ever.

* * *

><p>Chad handed Lexie a few more dishes from dinner earlier. Lexie gave Chad a huge smile. "I am so glad that you were able to come over for dinner. Abe and Theo love spending time with you. And you know that I love spending time with my little brother as well."<p>

Chad really enjoyed spending time with his sister. She always seemed genuine and caring when they talked to each other. "Yeah, I am glad you invited me." Lexie and Chad could hear laughs coming from the other room. "It seems Theo is really happy today."

Lexie shook her head. "He had a really good day at school today." Lexie finished putting the dishes in the dish washer. "So tell me, how are things in the mansion?"

Chad scratched his head. "Well, things are always interesting to say the least. Sami moved in today. EJ was really happy about that."

"I'm guessing father is not too pleased about that, huh?"

"Nope, I'm starting to think that he's always going to have a problem with the ladies that EJ and I bring home."

"Oh, so he's not too fond of Abigail Deveraux either?"

"Yeah, I don't think he really trusts her, but to be fair she doesn't really trust or care for him either." Chad thought about the many times Abigail warned him about how evil Stefano really was. "She just goes on and on about what Stefano did to her family and how she's afraid that I am going to be the same way. She doesn't trust me either."

Lexie remembered her experience of finding out that Stefano was her father and how it affected her relationship with Abe. "Abe and I used to argue about the same thing. We still do, but now it's usually about how father may influence Theo."

"How did you get Abe to finally trust you?"

Lexie gave a small smile. "Well, I really do not know because I did some awful things that almost ruined my marriage, but he stuck by me. I am really lucky to be with a man that truly loves me. I think he knows that I don't want to go down that path. I've seen what it can do to someone."

Chad wondered if Abigail would eventually trust him. He really had a hard time picturing that ever being the case. Lexie moved her head to catch Chad's attention. "Whatever you do, be yourself. You seem very well put together, and I truly see someone who won't let anyone get the best of them. You do need to be careful with father, although I truly think that he has softened a bit. I guess it comes with age." Lexie smiled at Chad, who smiled back. "How about we go back into the other room and join Abe and Theo for the rest of that movie?" Chad agreed. "Okay, then."

* * *

><p>At Chez Rouge, Stefano persisted that Kate should order a dessert as he knew she really wanted one. Kate shook her head, " I know that you want me to get a dessert so you can have some as well. I know better than that."<p>

Stefano smiled. Kate really knew him too well. "Katerina, I'll just have one small bite. It does not hurt anyone to have one small bite of sweetness."

"You should tell that to your son, Chad." Kate ordered a dessert finally caving in to Stefano. As the waitress walked away, Stefano wondered why Kate would say that. "I ran into Chad earlier at the Brady Pub. He really is paranoid that you and I are trying to break him and Abigail up. That girl really is no good for him."

"Well, I am not too worried about Chad's relationship about Abigail."

"You should be. She is a huge threat in your relationship with Chad. If you don't do something…"

Stefano interrupted. "Look, I'm not worried because I believe that Chad is only seeing the girl to get under my skin. Children love to test the limits of their parents. Not too long ago, Chad found out I was his father. He's pushing me. He doesn't really care about the girl."

Kate took a sip of water. "For your sake, I hope that you are right. There's always the possibility that even if Chad is just using her, he could fall in love with her in the process a la EJ and Sami."

Stefano knew Kate had a point, but had high hopes for Chad. "Well, I have faith that Chad is smarter than that."

* * *

><p>After telling her mother goodnight, Abigail walked down the stairs and found Melanie and Nathan laughing together. "It sure looks like you two are having fun alone. Is there something you're not telling me?"<p>

Nathan and Melanie looked at each other and realized that they were enjoying each other's company. It was not surprising, but they still thought that it was odd considering how things ended between them. Abigail looked at both of them waiting for a response. Melanie decided to speak up. "Abigail, we were laughing about dinner tonight."

Abigail had a relieved expression on her face. "Oh, so you guys did have fun tonight. My mom was under the impression that everyone was uncomfortable."

"Oh, we were uncomfortable." Melanie informed Abigail as Nathan shook his head in agreement. "Don't get me wrong… Sonny seems like a really nice guy, but I hate to tell you that you don't have a very good gaydar."

Abigail gave Melanie a confused look. "Gaydar? What on earth are you talking about?"

"Your cousin is gay. Sonny is gay and you spent most of the night trying to hook me up with him." Melanie could not believe that Abigail could not see the clues. Abigail shook her head in disbelief and appeared to dismiss the idea. "Well, I need to head home." Melanie started heading for the door. "If you don't believe me, ask Nathan." Melanie left.

Nathan really did not enjoy being put on the spot like that, but when Abigail moved her attention towards him for confirmation he knew there was no way around it. "Melanie's right. He was pretty much flirting with me the whole night. Even gave me his number when we left." Nathan pulled out a piece of napkin with Sonny's phone number on it. Abigail still did not believe it 100%, but knew that the evidence was pretty convincing.

* * *

><p>After dinner, Justin and Adrienne decided to take Sonny to the Brady Pub for some dessert. They watched their son as he ate his brownie sundae wondering if he was affected by the events that occurred earlier. "How is your dessert, sweetie?"<p>

"You weren't lying. It's damn good." Justin and Adrienne continued to watch their son. Sonny picked up his head from his dessert and looked at them. "What?"

Justin leaned forward. "Your mother and I were a bit concerned about how dinner went for you. Did you feel uncomfortable at all?"

"No. Why would I feel uncomfortable? It was a great welcome dinner. I had fun." Sonny did not care to get into it with his parents. He did not like when they worried about him. It seemed that ever since he came out to them, they became more sensitive with him.

Justin was about to say something, but stopped when he spotted Will walking in the pub. Justin motioned at Will to come over. "Hey Will. How are you?"

Will covered, "I'm great. How are you all?"

"Good. We're good." Justin motioned towards his son while looking at Will. Will and Sonny's eyes met and a feeling rushed over Sonny. "Will, this is our youngest, Sonny. He just moved here to Salem. He's attending Salem U in the fall."

Will shook Sonny's hand and smiled. "It's nice to meet you. I'll be there… I'm starting there as well… in the fall."

Justin turned to his son. "Will is your Aunt Jennifer's nephew… Lucas's son. Very smart and very resilient. He's a strong one." Will was flattered and thanked Justin for his kind words. "Just some observations," Justin said as he nodded his head to Will.

Sonny looked Will over and smiled at him. "Maybe you could show me around Salem. If you're cool with that."

Will scratched the back of his head and had this strange feeling come over him. This feeling had happened before, but he never understood it. Not that he ever tried, but Will knew that it made him nervous. "Yeah. Give me your number and I'll give you a call." Sonny quickly wrote his number down on a napkin and handed it to Will. "Thanks." The strange feeling intensified. "I should head to the kitchen and see what my Caroline… I mean.. great-grandma needs help with. Enjoy." Will walked away replaying the whole scene wishing he did not let that feeling get the best of him. He wondered if he looked and sounded dorky.


	3. Chapter 3 Stop

**Chapter 3: Stop – Sunday, June 26th, 2011**

Abigail and Gabi sat in Java Café waiting for Sonny to show up. Abigail's phone went off and she quickly grabbed it to read a text message from her cousin. "Sonny's on his way. He should be here soon enough." Abigail was excited about their plans. "Soon we'll be laying out in the sun on the beach!" She looked at Gabi hoping that she would be as equally excited, but she was not. Not even close. "Gabi, what's wrong?"

"Huh?" Gabi was a bit zoned out.

Abigail got a bit annoyed. "What is wrong? We're going to the beach today and you're over here moping about something. Talk to me. Let's get whatever is on your mind off of your mind, so we can all be happy."

Gabi began to play with her drink. "I don't know. I guess Rafe is always going to haunt me and I think it's affecting my relationship with Will. He's been very distant and I don't know what to do about it."

"Well, I think that it makes sense that you're still thinking about your brother. There are times when I think about my dad and what he did to my mom, JJ, and me. It never really leaves you because you also remember the good times and want things to return to that even when you know it's not fully possible."

Gabi began to smile as it seemed that someone finally understood what she was going through. It was too bad that it was Abigail and not her boyfriend. "It sucks, but I guess I need to realize that I cannot change what my brother did."

Just then Sonny walked into the Java Café. "Sorry, it took me a bit longer to get here. I got lost for a minute there." He smiled as he hugged his cousin.

Abigail brought him over to Gabi. "Gabi, Sonny. Sonny, Gabi." Gabi and Sonny shook hands. Abigail was ready to get the show on the road. "So are we ready to go?" She clasped her hands together. "Let's go."

Sonny stopped them. "We can't go yet. I invited someone to go with us. I believe you know him, Abigail." Will walked through the door before Sonny could say anymore. "There he is."

Will smiled as he saw Sonny, but that smile quickly faded as soon as he saw Gabi. Gabi stood up and marched over to Will. "Are you serious? I asked you if you wanted to hang out today, but you told me you had plans. Why did you lie to me?"

"I do have plans. I did not lie to you."

"Wait. So you were going to the beach without me?" Gabi gave Will an angry look.

Abigail stepped in and put her arm on Will's shoulder.. "Hey, Will. It's good to see you." She turned towards Gabi. "Gabi, how about we look at things in a more positive way. It looks like we all get to go to the beach together. Let's all get in my car and head over there." Abigail motioned Sonny to follow them to the car. Gabi glared at Will and closely followed Abigail towards the car. Sonny walked over to Will and shook his hand as they followed close behind the girls.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, at the Dimera Mansion, Chad was enjoying some down time with EJ and Johnny. EJ and Johnny were teaching Chad how to play chess, which was very important in the Dimera family. Chad picked up a pawn and tried to move it diagonally. "No. You can't do that, Uncle Chad," Johnny started. "You can only move it that way if you are going to kill one of daddy's pieces." Chad was impressed at how much Johnny knew about chess.<p>

EJ sat back and enjoyed listening to his son instruct his brother on how to play the game. EJ raised his eyebrows at Chad. "You're very lucky to have little Johnny on your team. He's a very smart player." Chad agreed.

Chad had noticed the last few months that EJ had somewhat become a different person. He was not as cranky as when Chad first found out he was Stefano's son. He knew that it most likely had to do a lot with Sami being in his life again. Still in his thoughts, Chad asked, "How do you do it?"

EJ thought Chad's question was a bit random. "How do I do it? What do you mean?"

"I mean you and Sami are happy together, but dad doesn't want to have anything to do with it. How do you not let that bother you?"

EJ laughed. "Well, it took me years to figure it out, but it's rather quite simple." EJ paused to let curiosity take over Chad's mind to want to hear more. "Be your own man. Don't let father tell you who to be. I mean, family is important. Family should work together and as a team, but it's important that you never lose your individuality as a person. You are a Dimera and we share that name, but you also have a first name that we do not share."

"Daddy, it's your turn." Johnny interjected. EJ looked at the board to see where he could play next knowing that in the end he would win. There was no way he could let Chad or Johnny win. They had to earn the honor.

Chad really liked what EJ had to say. It was something that he had always tried to tell Abigail to affirm that Stefano would not change him. Just then he got a text message from Abigail telling him that they were headed to the beach. He quickly replied: "I'll finish this last game with Johnny and EJ and I'll head over."

* * *

><p>Melanie had just finished her shift at the hospital. She was a bit tired from it all, but still had quite a bit of the day left. She contemplated whether she should go home and rest for a bit or hang out with someone. She placed a few forms in a filing drawer at the Nurse's station, when she heard someone say hello. She looked up and was a bit surprised when she saw that it was Dario. "Dario. What are you doing here?"<p>

"I knew you were working, so I thought I would stop by and say hello."

"Hi." Melanie looked down at her watch. "Well, I just got off, so I probably should get out of here." Melanie began to walk away.

Dario stopped her. "Wait. Maybe we could grab a coffee or something since you got off?" Melanie stopped and thought about Dario's invite. She was not sure if it was a good idea because of the growing attraction between the two of them. She really wanted to be single for a while longer so that she could think things through. Dario could tell that she was not sold on the idea of them hanging out. "Just as friends, of course."

Before Melanie could answer, Nathan walked over to the both of them. Melanie took the opportunity to stall on answering Dario's question. "Nathan. What are you doing here?"

"Just solidified my return. I got my old job back, thankfully." Melanie congratulated Nathan and smiled at him. Nathan thought it was a bit odd that Melanie was being so nice and seemed interested in talking to him. He noticed the other guy standing there and wondered if he had anything to do with it.

"Sorry. Melanie is a bit rude sometimes. I'm Dario Hernandez." Dario put his hand out to Nathan. Nathan shook his hand and introduced himself to Dario.

Nathan turned his attention back to Melanie. "So what are you doing? Do you want to grab a bite or maybe some coffee?" Dario did not like that another guy was asking Melanie out now. He wondered who Nathan was to Melanie.

Melanie was not very happy either, but knew it was her fault that she was in this situation. "Ah. I can't go. I already made plans with my dad." Dario was happy that Melanie had rejected Nathan's request.

"Well, maybe another time." Melanie agreed. "Well, I should go." Nathan got on the elevator and the doors closed.

Dario smiled at Melanie. "So where do you want to go?"

"Oh." Melanie felt bad that Dario assumed she was covering so that she could go with him. "I really did make plans with my dad. He's waiting for me at the house. Rain check?"

Dario was disappointed that Melanie did not want to go with him. "Sure. I'll see you around." He could not believe he wasted gas to get rejected by her.

* * *

><p>After setting up the towels and chairs at the beach, Gabi walked away from the group to think things through. She also hoped that Will would follow her so that they could talk in private. She made her way towards the water and allowed her feet to get wet by the tide that was coming in. Before her feet could fully sink into the sand, she turned around and saw that Will was right behind her. "Oh, Will. You should not have followed me over here. I want to be alone."<p>

"I thought that maybe we could talk, but if you want to be alone, I can give you some space." Will began to turn around, but Gabi grabbed his arm and stopped him. She pulled him closer. "So you want to talk?"

"I don't get our relationship sometimes. I mean, you say that you're really into me and you care about me, but I am not feeling it. I am not seeing that you want to spend time with me. Don't get me wrong, Will, but when we first started dating you used to be with me. You were sweet and present. You really held onto my hand. Now you're just distant even when we are together." Gabi thought about the many times she came onto Will, but he would always have an excuse to leave. She also thought about the many canceled dates in the last few months. She began to wonder if he secretly hated her. As a tear formed in her eye, she asked, "Do you even like me anymore?"

Gabi's question hit Will like a ton of bricks. Guilt suddenly took over as he began to ask himself that very same question. Did he enjoy spending time with Gabi? He realized that he had been annoyed with her a lot recently. There were times when he regretted having to meet up with her. There were times that he counted down the minutes of when he could leave and say goodbye to her. This was not what he wanted. When he first met Gabi he really did enjoy their time together. They had fun. They smiled a lot, but now things were different. Things got really serious and he was extremely out of his element.

Gabi watched Will as he remained silent. More tears began to form in her eyes. "I guess that settles it then." Gabi began to walk away from Will as it dawned on her that not only did she just lose her boyfriend, but she had also lost a best friend.

"Wait!" Will grabbed Gabi's hand this time to stop her. "I do like you. I'm sorry. I just realized how much I have changed on you. Please let me explain." Gabi's heart began to beat faster as Will pulled her closer. She was hoping that he would stop her, but her expectations were not that high. She looked at Will as he began to wipe away her tears. "I don't know what I am doing. I've never got this serious with a girl before. I'm so out of sync. I am so nervous that I might say or do something wrong."

"Oh, Will." Gabi pulled Will into a hug. She appreciated the honesty. "I don't know what I am doing either. I'm sorry that I have been putting so much pressure on you. We'll take things slower if that's what you want us to do. I am okay with that." Gabi and Will separated from their hug, but continued to hold hands. "How about we just work on this together? That way we can just help each other decide what we want from our relationship. I think that would make it easier for the both of us." Will agreed hoping that he would feel better about himself and his relationship with Gabi.

While Gabi and Will were figuring things out, Abigail and Sonny laid out in the sun on their stomachs talking about life in Salem. Sonny turned his head towards Abigail. "So do they fight a lot?"

Abigail turned her head to Sonny after sending a text message to Chad. "Will and Gabi? All the time. It's actually pretty bad. I can tell neither of them is happy in the relationship."

"Why are they together then?"

"Well, I do think they care about each other. They have been through quite a bit together." Abigail then spoke in a low whisper. "Her brother almost killed his mother twice. That was crazy times, let me tell you."

"Looks like I came to Salem just in time." Sonny pulled his body up to check on Will and Gabi. As he moved his body down, he made a comment. "It sucks that they are fighting, when they could be over here with us having fun. What does Will do for fun? I'm looking for a workout buddy."

Abigail had noticed Sonny seemed quite interested in Will and Gabi, but this was the first time Sonny had singled out Will. "He plays a few sports like baseball and soccer. I'm sure he goes to the gym quite a bit. I think he used to go with my boyfriend, Chad, but they don't go together anymore." Abigail wondered if Sonny wanted more than a workout buddy. "Can I ask you a somewhat random question?"

"Sure."

"Why did you invite Will?" Abigail did not want to just ask him if he was gay. She thought that maybe she could get the answer to that question without having to accuse him of something that might not be true.

Sonny knew that Abigail wanted to ask him something else. He could tell by the way she nervously looked at him. He got up and sat on a chair. "I think I am done with the laying out. A swim sounds good."

Abigail got up as well. "Wait, you didn't answer my question."

"Well, you didn't ask what you really wanted to ask me," Sonny shot back. "Just ask me. I know what you want to know."

"Fine. Are you gay?" Chad had just walked up to hear Abigail's question and Abigail froze as she spotted her boyfriend.

Sonny had not noticed that Chad was behind him. "The answer to your question is yes. Can we swim now?" Sonny was trying not to make a big deal about it. Chad made a noise to make his presence known. Sonny quickly turned around and gave Chad a look over. "Hi, who are you?"

Chad gave a closed smile. "I'm Chad. Abigail's boyfriend… and you are?"

Abigail stepped in. "This is my cousin, Sonny. The one that moved into Salem, remember?"

"Right." Chad walked over and shook his hand. Chad began to search for Will and Gabi and spotted them kissing by the water. "I thought you said they were fighting? It looks like they made up."

Abigail made her way to Chad and put her arm around his waist. She looked up to him and smiled. "Thank God. I am so glad we do not have problems like them." Chad forced a smile and decided not to remind her of their problems.


	4. Chapter 4 Becoming A True Dimera

**Chapter 4: Becoming A True Dimera – Monday, June 27th, 2011**

During their break, Abigail and Melanie were discussing their parents' dating rituals. "I definitely caught my dad talking to himself in the mirror while he was getting ready for a date with your mom. It was very amusing watching him try to play it off when I walked in the room."

Abigail laughed. "That reminds me of the time I caught my mom making faces in the mirror as she put on her make up."

"Why do we have such dorky parents?"

Daniel walked up having overheard the girls talking about him and Jennifer. He startled both of the girls when they saw him. "How about you two not talk about Jen and my personal life so loud in the hospital halls? I don't think it would be good for rumors and lies to spread around."

"Rumor and lies?" Melanie countered. "We are talking truth here." Daniel gave Melanie a look, which caused Abigail to declare that her break was over. After Abigail was gone, Melanie playfully punched her dad on the shoulder. "Can't take the heat, can you?"

"Oh, I can. Just do me a favor and avoid talking about it so publicly. I think it's great that you and Abigail can bond over the 'dorkiness of your parents', but I am sure Jennifer would appreciate not having her co-workers laugh at her. I know I would." Melanie agreed and closed her lips with her fingers. Daniel was glad he got that cleared up.

Daniel spotted Nathan walking into a hospital room. "I just saw Nathan. I had heard he was back, but didn't believe it." He noticed that Melanie tensed up a bit. "How are you handling all of that? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Melanie became extremely uncomfortable. She looked at her watch and then back to her dad. "Oh look at that. Break time is over. Good talk." Melanie patted her dad on the shoulder and left.

* * *

><p>Chad walked into the Dimera living room after being summoned by his father and EJ. He saw that they were waiting for him by the piano. Stefano was seated on the piano bench, while EJ leaned against the end of the baby grand. "So what do you need me to do?"<p>

Stefano stood up and put out his hands towards EJ. EJ picked up a package and handed it to his father. Stefano made his way to Chad and handed him the package. "I need you to deliver this package to a man that will be waiting for you by pier 17." Stefano pulled out a photo and handed it to Chad. "This is the man you will be looking for."

Chad studied the photo and memorized the man's face. Before he could put the photo in his pocket, EJ stopped him. "It's best that you do not take the photo with you." Chad gave EJ the photo and began to examine the package.

"Now Chad," Stefano continued. "It's important that the package is received unopened. You cannot know what is in the package. It is best that you do not know." Chad gave Stefano an odd look and wondered why he not allowed to know what was in the package. Knowing his son's thoughts, Stefano added, "It's for your safety. Just give it to the man on the pier and come straight back. He's waiting for you now."

EJ stepped up behind his father. "Do you think you'll be able to keep your curiosity in check?"

"Yeah." Chad was curious as to what he was carrying, but knew he had to let that go to do what his father wanted him to do. "I'll go now." Chad left with the package under his arm.

EJ walked over to the couch and took a seat. "Do you think he'll be able to make it through this unscathed?"

Still keeping his eyes towards the door, Stefano nodded. "I think Chad will make me proud."

"Proud of what?" Kate walked in having heard Stefano discussing Chad with EJ. "I just saw Chad drive off. Where is he going?"

"He's about to start his journey as a true Dimera." Stefano smiled as he knocked down a pawn piece on his chessboard.

* * *

><p>Lexie and Jennifer were enjoying lunch in Lexie's office. Lexie was a bit suspicious because Jennifer had shown up earlier with food and talked her into taking her lunch break with her. She let the small talk continue at first to see if Jennifer would present the real reason for bringing her food. After awhile of more small talk, Lexie decided it was best to confront Jennifer about it. "Jen, I don't mean to be rude. I do appreciate you bringing me lunch, but part of me wonders if there is a reason you wanted to talk to me. Am I wrong?"<p>

Jennifer froze as she continued to chew her food. She finally shook her head and swallowed what was in her mouth. "You're not wrong. I brought food over because I wanted to talk to you about something specific."

"Which would be?" Lexie was curious.

"My daughter dating your brother. They seem to be getting a little more serious." Jennifer put her food down and took a sip of her drink.

"Well, what do you want to know? Chad is a great guy. He's smart and really seems to have a good head on his shoulders." Lexie did not think Jen had anything to worry about, but understood Jen's concern.

Jennifer debated whether she should ask Lexie about something she heard about Chad, but figured it was a safe place. "I heard something about Chad, but I don't know if it's exactly true." Jennifer got Lexie's attention. "Is it true that Chad got a girl pregnant in high school?"

Lexie confirmed it. "Mia. Chad did get a girl pregnant in high school, but the baby died about six months after she was born. Chad didn't even get to know Grace. It was very tragic."

Jennifer felt a bit guilty for bringing up such sad pain. "I'm sorry I brought it up. I guess I am just really concerned that Chad might hurt my daughter, especially since he's living in the Dimera Mansion."

Lexie bit her lip. It annoyed her that people assumed the worse when they heard the Dimera name, even if they had good reasons. "Chad is not like my father. He is a good guy." Jennifer thanked Lexie and decided not to continue on the subject. She sensed Lexie's frustration with having to defend the Dimera name.

* * *

><p>At the pub, Will was cleaning off one of the tables when Sami came inside holding Sydney. Sami walked over. "Hey Will. I thought maybe we could spend some time together and talk."<p>

"Well, I am working right now. I told great-grandma that I would help her out at the pub for letting me live here." Will continued to wipe off the table.

Sami expected Will to fight the idea of talking to her, so she brought Sydney hoping that she would help convince him to sit down. "I know you're upset with me, but I brought your baby sister. She misses her big brother. What do you say? Just a little while."

Will knew that his mother would not leave until he agreed to talk to her. "Fine. Let me go put these dishes in the back by the sink." Will picked up the dishes from the table. "Do you want anything to drink?"

"I'm fine, but could you bring Sydney a small cup of apple juice." Will nodded and left Sami there with Sydney. Sami took a seat and put Sydney in a chair realizing she probably should have asked Will to bring a booster seat. Sami smiled when she saw that Will brought a booster seat out for Sydney with the apple juice. "Sydney, you have the best big brother ever."

After setting up Sydney with the booster seat and her apple juice, Will looked down to avoid eye contact with Sami. "So what did you want to talk about?"

"Well," Sami looked down at her crossed hands and then back at Will. "I wanted to talk to you about love." Will gave her a weird look as if to ask her if she was serious. "It's important that you hear me out. I love EJ and I need you to understand why."

Will began to shake his head. "Just stop. I don't want to hear this. I don't need to hear this."

Sami put her hand on Will's to make him stop. "It's important. Please hear me out. I think it will help you understand why I did what I did."

Will rolled his eyes and gave in. "Fine. I'll hear you out."

"It's kind of hard to explain, but when I was in that coma for a few weeks, the truth about everything seemed to come to the forefront in my mind. I realized that a person cannot choose the one he or she loves. The first day I met EJ, even though I was with your Uncle Austin at the time, I knew there was something about him. He was a great friend and I believe he fell in love with me. It was unfortunate that when I found out he was a Dimera I dismissed him. I did not trust him on anything because of what the Dimeras did to our family, so for years I buried and denied my feelings for him and tried to find someone else to escape those feelings."

"Enter Rafe Hernandez." Will calmly said watching his sister drink her juice.

"Yes. I tried to put everything into my relationship with Rafe. He seemed to really care about me and that was good enough for me at the time. What I did not realize is that I was destroying who I am as a person just to be with him. To try to make him happy, I forgot about my happiness. I really lost myself and let him have control of my decisions. It wasn't until I was in that coma that I realized that I had allowed all of this to happen. I had to break it off with Rafe because our relationship was unfair for the both of us. At the same time, I realized that I needed to think things through before even attempting to get back together with EJ. I knew it would happen though. Even though EJ and I have hurt each other so much over the years it was all because I was fighting my feelings for him… fighting what I knew deep down inside of me. He is and always will be the one for me."

Sami realized that she was talking Will's ear off and he still seemed like he did not care to hear what she had to say. "I won't bother you much more with this, Will. I can tell that you still think I am too stupid to make my own decisions. That's exactly how Rafe made me feel. Same with your father."

Will was offended that Sami would compare him to Rafe. "I'm not saying you are stupid mom. I am just worried that you're going to be in another situation where your life is in danger. I trusted Rafe and he put your life in danger. I don't trust EJ, how could I not expect worse from your relationship with him?"

"Don't worry about me, Will. I will be fine. EJ loves me for me and I love him for who he is. You will understand when you have experienced love the way I have with EJ. You're too young to understand." Sami noticed that she struck a nerve with Will again and then remembered that Will was still dating Gabi. "Unless you have experienced it and you haven't told me. How are you and Gabi?"

"Gabi and I are okay." Will knew that deep down that even though he really cared about Gabi, there was no way that they were soul mates. He did not want to admit it to his mother though. He was not even sure if he believed in the idea. Lucky for Will, Sonny came in and walked up to his table. "Hey Sonny. Can I get you something?"

"Yeah, I was wanting to talk to Ms. Brady about a job for the summer. I need to keep myself busy before school." Sonny smiled at Sami, who smiled back.

"Yeah, sure." Will got up and put his hands in his pockets. "I could take you to her right now, if you'll just follow me." Will turned to his mom. "I'll be back." Sonny followed Will to the back.

Sami watched the two walk away and noticed a weird vibe in Will when Sonny talked to him. She decided to let it go. Sami looked at Sydney and started to mess with her daughter's hair. "I hope your brother is happy. That's all that matters to me."

* * *

><p>Chad made his way to pier 17 without opening the package. He wondered if he really had what it took to delve into the family business. As much as he tried to defy Stefano, he did not want to disappoint him or EJ. He really wanted to be a part of this family. He saw the guy from the photo waiting behind some crates. The guy motioned for Chad to come closer.<p>

As Chad walked closer with the package under his arm, he heard a sharp, yet soft noise. That's when everything went wrong. The man from the photo fell down in pain. Chad turned and saw another man running towards him with a gun. Chad tried to move out of the way, but it was too late. The guy ran him over and took the package.

Chad quickly got up to his feet, but the guy who had taken the package was long gone. He quickly made his way over to the guy from the photo. The guy was holding onto his stomach and trying to speak. "Help… me…"

"Hold on, man." The guy removed his hand from his stomach to show a shot wound where blood was pouring out. Chad began to freak inside, but he knew he had to act now if he was going to help the guy. He pulled out his phone and called his father.

Stefano quickly picked up. "Is everything okay?"

Chad tried to hold his composure, but his voice gave away how scared he was. "Uh, no. The guy has been shot and another guy took the package. What do I do? This guy is going to die if I don't do anything."

"Is there blood on any part of you?"

"Huh?"

"Do you have blood on you?"

Chad looked himself over. "No. There's no blood."

"Chad, this is important. You must do as I say. Leave the guy there and come back to the mansion immediately."

"But…"

"But nothing. Chad, come back. I'll send some of my men to take care of the guy. It is not your concern. Your concern is to get back here. Hurry."

Before Chad could say another word, Stefano hung up on him. Chad looked at the guy, who seemed to be losing consciousness. Chad thought about what Stefano told him to do, but Chad did not want to leave the guy there. Debating on what he should do, Chad knew he needed to decide quickly.


	5. Chapter 5 A Test?

**Chapter 5: A Test? - Monday, June 27th, 2011**

Sami and Will were continuing their conversation at the Brady Pub. Sami had tried to push the topic of Gabi, but Will did not feel like talking about that. "Is it wrong for me to want what is best for you? No family is perfect, Will. I am doing what I think is best for everyone here."

Will got up from the table. "I want to be happy for you mom, but I still think that you are rushing into things without thinking everything through. Look, I probably need to start working again."

Sami stood up and picked up Sydney. "Okay, but one quick thing. I talked to Allie the other day and she told me to tell you hi. She really misses you and hopes to see you soon. Same with Johnny."

Will smiled as he thought about his siblings. He was actually kind of jealous of how easy they had it compared to him growing up. "I miss them, too… I should go now."

"Promise me one thing."

"What?" Will was expecting his mother to say something about EJ.

"You'll spend some time with your brother tonight. He could really use some big brother time." Sami gave Will a soft smile and caressed his cheek.

"Yeah. I'll come by tonight and take him to the park or something." Sami gave Will a hug with Sydney and then left leaving Will to get back to work.

* * *

><p>Chad rushed into the main room where his father was waiting. Chad kept replaying what he witnessed on the pier over and over in his mind. He could not believe that he left the man there. Stefano walked over to him and greeted him. "Good, you listened to me. Now just have a drink and calm down." Stefano began to pour Chad a drink.<p>

Chad was not in the mood and became annoyed at how calm Stefano was at the moment. "I don't think I can even drink right now. What the hell just happened? What did I just get myself into?"

Stefano handed Chad the drink and began to laugh. "Relax. You have nothing to worry about. I am proud of you, son. You did exactly what I hoped you would do."

Chad put the drink down without taking a sip. "What the hell are you talking about? I just saw a guy get shot. How can you laugh and tell me to relax?"

EJ walked in. "It's because he's seen it before. I went through almost exactly the same experience that you just did. Though I was a couple years younger than you when I was brought into the family fold. Father, didn't grandfather put you through the same thing when you were younger?"

Stefano nodded. "Except my guy was really shot and killed in front of me." Chad was really confused as to what was going on now. He heard what EJ and Stefano were saying, but he did not know what they were trying to imply.

"Come on in." EJ said towards the doors. The same man from the photo that Chad had seen on the pier with a wound walked in without a wound and appeared to be fine. "You see Chad, this was all a test. Our father went through it. Our brothers before us went through it. I went through it, and now so have you."

All of Chad's worries seemed to disappear as he realized that in a way he had just been punk'd by his father and brother. "A test? Are you serious? So all of this was a set up?"

Stefano gave Chad a hug. "Yes, son. And you passed with flying colors. You did the right thing when things got dangerous. I could have just told you what I wanted you to learn, but I figured a hands on approach would help you understand more."

Chad smiled at the idea that he had just been initiated as a new man in the Dimera family. He was still in a bit of shock. "You did all of this to teach me something?"

"Yes. It is important that you know that whenever things get dangerous or trouble arises, that you call me or your brother. We are all here for each other. Likewise, we will call you when we need help. It is all about working together and always keeping each other in the know."

"Right." Chad grabbed the drink his father made him earlier and swallowed it all.

* * *

><p>Melanie pulled out a dress from her closet and handed it to Abigail. "This is the dress I was talking about. I think Chad would really like this dress on you."<p>

"Oh, that's beautiful." Abigail held the dress to her and looked at herself in the mirror. "We're going to Chez Rouge. This is our first formal date. I am so excited."

Melanie began to look through her jewelry box. "I think I have some earrings that would really go with that dress as well… oh, here they are." Melanie pulled out a pair of earrings for Abigail to try on. Abigail put the dress on Melanie's bed, put on the earrings, and then held the dress against her again to look in the mirror. "Awww. It looks great!"

"Thanks so much, Mel. So do you have any plans tonight?"

"Nah. I think I am just going to stay home and watch some old movies."

"That's kind of lame. How are things going with you and Dario?" Abigail continued to check her appearance in the mirror as she talked to Melanie.

"Complicated."

"How so?"

"Well, with Nathan coming back to town, things just seem out of sync with how to approach my feelings for Dario." Abigail quickly turned towards Melanie when Melanie mentioned Nathan's name. "Before you came back into town, Nathan and I were involved… we were in love with each other. Timing just wasn't on our side, so things didn't work out."

"Wow. I had no idea. Now I suddenly feel awkward about persistently asking Nathan to join us for dinner the other night. I really am clueless when it comes to things like that. I am so sorry."

"No, it's fine." Melanie thought about that night with Nathan and laughed. "I actually had a good time with Nathan. He was probably the least awkward part of the night. He really is a great guy."

"Well, help me with the dress and my hair," Abigail said. Melanie realized that she was talking to herself. Abigail was no longer listening to Melanie.

Melanie snapped out of her thoughts about Nathan. She was surprised that he still had that power over her. She tried not to let the thought scare her and decided that helping Abigail would be a great distraction. "The fun part!"

* * *

><p>Over at the Cheatin' Heart, Dario felt a bit bad because Gabi was there. He went over to Adrienne to check in with her to make sure that she was not bothered. "Boss, I am sorry about Gabi talking with me at the bar. I know she's underage and all."<p>

Adrienne stopped Dario from saying anymore. "I get it. She needs her brother right now. Just make sure you don't serve her any alcohol."

"Thanks, I won't." Dario walked back over to his sister and asked her if she wanted a soda or something. Gabi asked for a water. Dario poured her a glass of water and noticed that she seemed down. "So, I talked to mom today. She told me that she got a new puppy."

"I know. I talked to her earlier." Dario's plan to cheer up Gabi was not working. Gabi seemed to be somewhere else.

"So what is it? Rafe? Will? Is Will still being a jerk to you about Rafe?"

Gabi snapped out of it. "No. It's not really about Rafe. I feel a lot better about my relationship with Will. It's just that I am ready to take my relationship to the next level with Will, but I don't know how to go about that."

"Next level?" Dario was not sure what she meant, until Gabi gave him a look to imply that she was ready to sleep with Will. "Ah. No me digas. I don't want to hear the details."

While Dario and Gabi were talking, Sonny came in to talk to his mother. He walked over to her and gave her a hug from behind. "Guess what, mom?"

Adrienne turned around to face her son. "What, sweetie?" Sonny seemed to have some good news.

"I got a job at the Brady Pub. I talked to Caroline Brady and she was excited to have me work part time."

Adrienne put her hands on her hips. "That's great, but why don't you just work with me. You know that I would love to have you with me here."

"Hmmmm… I guess I just wanted to get a job where I knew I would not be allowed to slack or skip." Sonny laughed a bit. His mother usually let him get away with anything. He was her baby boy.

Gabi was teasing Dario about him being her new 'girlfriend' that she talked to about all her problems. Dario shook his head and made a silly face. "Do I look gay to you? Go find yourself a fag."

Adrienne and Sonny froze when they heard Dario say that. Sonny joking demeanor suddenly became very serious as he looked to his mother. "And I guess your bartender just gave me another reason. Why would I work for a place where I'm not welcome?" Sonny turned around and left rather quickly.

Dario and Gabi noticed that Sonny seemed upset when he left and then saw Adrienne heading to her office behind the bar. Dario stopped her. "Did I say something wrong?"

Adrienne was rather upset, but did not want to make a scene. She pulled herself together, gave Dario a look, and responded in a low voice, "My son is gay." Adrienne looked away and went back to her office to cool off. Dario looked back at Gabi, who would not even look at him. Dario felt horrible.

* * *

><p>Chad headed downstairs at the Dimera Mansion after hearing the doorbell ring. He opened the door and was surprised to see Will on the other side. After inviting Will in, Chad asked, "How are you?"<p>

"I'm well, I guess. How are you?"

"Same." Chad scratched his head. "I hate to tell you this, but I can't really hang right now. I have plans."

Will laughed. Hanging out with Chad sounded nice, but that was not why he was there. "I hate to break it to you, but I am not here to hang out with you. I am here to hang out with my little brother. Where is Johnny, anyway?"

Chad was a bit disappointed that Will was not here to see him. "He's gone actually. EJ took him out to a ball game about ten minutes ago. My guess is that you won't get to hang out with Johnny tonight."

"That's weird. I guess my mom did not tell EJ that I was going to spend some time with Johnny. I guess my night just went from fun to not doing anything." Will began to wonder what he was going to do.

"Not necessarily. I have an idea." Will was all ears. "You should call Gabi and the both of you could join Abigail and me at Chez Rouge for dinner tonight. I'll cover the price. I've got the funds."

"Are you sure?" Chad shook his head and put his hand on Will's shoulder to try to convince him. "Okay. I'll call Gabi. We'll have a double date."


	6. Chapter 6 Date Night

**Chapter 6: Date Night – Monday, June 27th, 2011**

Gabi received a text message while she was sitting in the Cheatin' Heart with her brother. She was excited to see that it was from Will. After she read it, she got even more excited. "I have to go. Will is taking me to Chez Rouge and Abigail and Chad are going as well. I need to find a dress." Gabi realized that Dario was still thinking about what he said earlier. "You should probably go talk to Adrienne and apologize." Gabi got up and wished her brother luck. She gave him a hug and left.

Dario knew that his sister was right. He wondered if Adrienne was going to fire him for his slip up. He walked into the back and found Adrienne looking through some paperwork in her office. "Boss, you have a minute?" Adrienne looked up and then motioned for Dario to take a seat. "I wanted to apologize," Dario started before taking a seat, not daring to look at her. When he was seated, he continued, "What I said was extremely stupid."

"You bet your ass it was stupid!" Adrienne shot back. "It was also extremely irresponsible!" Adrienne was clearly worked up over what had happened earlier. She stood up, walked around to the front of her desk, and leaned on the front of it forcing Dario to look at her. Trying to remain calm, she continued, "My son has had it hard enough as it is with coming out. He was hoping it would be different when he moved to Salem. I told him that things probably wouldn't be any easier, but reminded him time and time again that he would always be safe with me and his father." Adrienne began to shake her head with disappointment. Her frustration could be heard in her voice. "I own this place. He should not have to worry about coming in here and hearing words that represent hate and rejection. If my son doesn't feel safe in my place than I am not doing my job! Do you realize what position your comment put me in?"

Dario looked down in shame. He had never seen Adrienne so upset. "If I could take it back, I would. I know I cannot, so I'll understand if you want to fire me." Dario looked back at Adrienne who was now looking down.

Adrienne lifted her head, adjusted her hair, and took a deep breath. "I'm not going to fire you." She headed back to the seat in back of her desk and after sitting down looked back to Dario. "I know that you did not mean to be offensive when you made that comment, but I have to ask that you be more careful with your words. Sonny has been through a lot." Adrienne and Dario were silent for a second. Adrienne felt a little bad because she had released months of frustration on Dario. Dario's slip was an accident, but the ones from others before were not. Adrienne looked to Dario. "If I may make another suggestion."

"Of course." Dario shifted in his chair. He wanted to make things right.

"Apologize to my son. It doesn't have to be some big spectacle. As a matter of fact, it's best you avoid any kind of spectacle. He hates when the attention is on him."

"I will apologize to him. Again I am sorry." Dario got up from the seat.

"I know that you're a good guy, Dario. That's the only reason I'll let you slide this time. Don't let me regret it." Adrienne went back to her work. Dario figured it was time for him to get back to work. Dario appreciated the fact that Adrienne did not fire him. He told himself he would be more careful next time.

* * *

><p>EJ brought two glasses of wine over to Sami who was relaxing on the couch. "So Johnny fell asleep halfway through the game. Mary is going to have it pretty easy tonight." Sami smiled as he handed her a glass of wine. "You have been quiet for a while now, are you okay?"<p>

"Yeah. Sorry. I guess I am just a bit tired from earlier." Sami took a sip from her glass.

"You met with Will earlier, right? I'm guessing things didn't end so well." EJ moved to the back of the couch and stood right behind Sami.

"He listened to what I had to say, but he still thinks I am making a huge mistake in moving in with you. I think he's angry with me."

EJ took a quick gulp from his glass and put it down. EJ began to rub Sami's shoulders. "I think that it would be good if you allowed Will to have a bit of space. He'll come around sooner or later. I don't plan on ever losing you again."

"This is all my fault though. I really wish I never met Rafe Hernandez. I really let him…"

"Samantha, what did we agree on…"

Sami tensed up as she put her glass of wine down. "The R-word is forbidden… sorry. I was just saying that I am content with life now. I may be over what happened in the past, but my children will feel the ramifications of the choices I made when I was with the man… Will especially. He's dating Gabi and I know that has put a strain on their relationship. I really screwed up Will's life enough already. I can tell he's unhappy and I am to blame."

EJ began to rub Sami's shoulders harder and joked, "You need to just relax. It would make this romantic massage a lot easier." He then got serious. "We all make mistakes. I think we both can attest to that. Do you remember Nicole?"

Sami stopped EJ from giving her a massage and turned to look at him. "Wait a minute. I sense a double standard here."

EJ raised his hands in protest. "It was a slip. I won't say the N-word again."

Sami pulled EJ towards her causing him to fall over the couch. His head fell into her lap, and she began to play with his hair. "You better not."

* * *

><p>Chad and Abigail were seated at a table at Chez Rouge, when Chad got a text message. After reading it, he put his phone back in his pocket. "It looks like Will is just now leaving the Pub to pick up Gabi. They're going to be late."<p>

Abigail was not pleased when Chad told her earlier that Will and Gabi would be joining them. "Well, at least that means we will get some alone time before they get here. Sometimes it's hard to have a good time when those two are around. Don't get me wrong, I love both of them… just separately… well usually."

Chad smirked at Abigail. She could really be a bitch sometimes. "Well, how about we don't talk about them, so we can guarantee that we will have a good time." That got Abigail to stop talking about them rather quickly. "So what did you do today?"

"Went to work and hung out with Melanie. That was pretty much it." Before Abigail could ask Chad what he did, Stefano and Kate walked up.

"Chad and Abigail. So nice to see you two here." Stefano patted his son on the back. Secretly he was a bit annoyed that Chad was wasting the Dimera money on Abigail Deveraux.

Abigail put on a fake smile and said with a cheery voice, "Oh, what a surprise to see the both of you here… such a coincidence." Chad noticed that Abigail was laying it on rather thick.

"Come on, Stefano." Kate took Stefano's arm. "We should head over to the table and leave these two alone." Stefano followed Kate to their table.

Chad leaned towards Abigail. "What were you doing there? It was obvious that you were trying to get rid of them."

Abigail leaned in as well. "You know more than I do that they do not like me and that the only reason that they are here is because they knew we would be here on a date." Abigail crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair.

"I like you and that's really all that matters." Chad did not really want to get into it with Abigail during their date. "Let's go back to talking about us."

"I am fine with that." Abigail took a drink to move on. "What did you do today?"

Chad got excited when he thought about his day. "I had a great bonding experience with Stefano and EJ. I really feel like I'm one of them now." Chad knew exactly what he was saying. He really did feel like one of them, but he also said it to get under Abigail's skin. He tried to read her reaction by reading her facial expression, but she was hiding it pretty good.

"That's nice." Abigail was not pleased to hear what Chad had to say on how he was glad to be more of a Dimera. It worried her, but she kept her mouth shut because she did not want to ruin their date either.

* * *

><p>Will arrived outside of the apartment complex where Gabi lived. When he got out of his car he was surprised to see Sonny sitting on a bench by the main door. Will saw that Sonny did not seem too happy at the moment. "Sonny, are you okay?"<p>

Sonny looked up and was surprised to see Will standing there. "Will… hey. Life kind of sucks right now. It seems that anytime I think my life is normal, I get a rude awakening that says otherwise." Will took a seat next to Sonny, making Sonny look straight into his eyes. Sonny saw such warmth, but sadness in Will's eyes. "Sorry to just kind of unload on you. What are you doing here?"

"It's okay. I'm actually here to pick up Gabi. We're supposed to meet Abigail and Chad at Chez Rouge. Double Date!" Will let out a small laugh.

"Sounds like fun. Wish I could go on a date."

"Ha… what's stopping you?"

"It's kind of complicated." Sonny did not want to say too much in fear that he might scare Will away. "The ones I am interested in, are not usually interested in me."

"So you asked someone out tonight and they said no?"

Sonny laughed. "No… nothing like that. Some jerk said something rude and it upset me. Reminded me of something I wish I could change sometimes." Sonny noticed Will look at his watch. "I don't mean to keep you. I understand if you have to go."

"Why don't you come up with me? You can say hi to Gabi and hang out a bit before we have to go."

"Are you sure?" Sonny wanted Will to know that he did not want to impose.

"Yeah. We can talk about the good things in your life." Will stood up and motioned for Sonny to get up.

Sonny really liked Will. "You're a good guy." Sonny stood up and followed Will to the door as Will thanked him.

"You are, too."

* * *

><p>Will and Sonny made their way up to Gabi and Dario's apartment and were now waiting for Gabi to come out of her room. "Okay guys, I am ready." Gabi came out in an elegant green dress. "This is one of Arianna's old dresses. I'm surprised it fits me so perfectly."<p>

"You look amazingly perfect, Gabi." Sonny stepped forward.

"Thanks, Sonny. You're really sweet." Gabi squeezed Sonny's arm. She turned towards Will waiting for his compliment, but it seemed that Will was somewhere else. "Will, anything you want to say?"

"Oh." Will realized that Gabi was fishing for a compliment. "You… " Will looked Gabi over. "… look great. Amazing really." Will was embarrassed by his failure to cover. Sonny patted Will on the back as if to genuinely tell him 'nice try'.

Gabi grabbed Will's hand and looked at his watch. "We should probably head out. We're late." Gabi let go of Will's hand and turned to Sonny. "We should hang out tomorrow. I'm pretty much free all day."

Sonny smiled. "Sounds good. I hope the both of you enjoy your date." Sonny patted Will on the back again and left. Will was not sure how to feel about Gabi and Sonny hanging out. He was surprised to find that he felt a bit jealous.

After Sonny was gone, Gabi pushed Will softly to let him know she was upset with him. "I cannot believe that you choked up like that. I come out in this gorgeous dress and the new guy compliments me, but my boyfriend struggles on what to say? Where are you tonight?"

"I'm here. I just needed a second to take in how beautiful you looked. There was a lot of pressure in that moment."

"Nice cover. Let's go." Gabi grabbed Will's arm and placed it around hers so he could escort her to his car.

* * *

><p>Gabi and Will arrived at Chez Rouge and spotted Chad and Abigail sitting at a table. Will and Gabi made their way over to the table. Will pulled out the chair next to Abigail for Gabi. Will sat next to Chad. "Glad you guys could make it." Chad smiled at Will to let him know that he was happy to see him. Will tried to keep his attention on Gabi to avoid anymore backlash from her about how he was not a good boyfriend.<p>

Abigail turned to Gabi. "Chad and I were just talking about what we thought you two would be wearing." Chad smirked at Abigail's lie. The truth was Chad and Abigail were having a hard time coming up with things to talk about before they showed up. "I really like green on you."

"Thanks! You look beautiful as well." Gabi noticed that a waiter was bringing a tray of plates over to their table. "Did you guys already order?"

"Yeah, Abigail and I already ordered for you. Will sent me a text with your orders."

Gabi was taken back with how Will had thought ahead. "Wow, Will. You totally made up for earlier. I take back all the mean things I said to you earlier." Abigail rolled her eyes. She still wished that it was just Chad and her on this date. As the waiter was putting the plates on the table, Gabi turned to Abigail. "So Will and I saw Sonny before we came here."

Abigail decided to take the opportunity to joke about her cousin's sexuality and turned to Will. "Now Will, I need to know… did he hit on you?"

Will became confused as to why Sonny would hit on him and wondered if Abigail was trying to imply something about Will. The uncomfortable feelings that Will was experiencing was written all over his face. Chad noticed and asked, "Did Abigail strike a nerve?" He then put his hand on Will's leg, startling Will a bit. Having noticed that Will was startled, Chad joked, "Can't believe I never noticed how homophobic you are." The girls laughed it off. Will tried to with a nervous laugh.

Embarrassment took over Will's thoughts. He did not fully understand what was going on, but he knew that undefined feeling had come over him once again. The waiter interrupted his thoughts. "Enjoy your meal."

Will smiled as he looked at his food. "This looks really good." Will really wanted to forget what had just happened.

Chad, who had noticed how uncomfortable Will had become, wondered if Will was okay. While the girls were enjoying their food, he tilted his head towards Will and whispered, "You okay man? You know I was just kidding with you right?"

"Yeah. I'm good." Will did not want Chad to worry about him or push the topic. "The food and company are great." Will smiled at Chad hoping that would help him worry less. Chad smiled back.


	7. Chapter 7 Apologize

**Chapter 7: Apologize – Tuesday, June 28th, 2011**

The next day, Abigail was looking through her text messages and walking away from the Java Café counter, when she bumped into someone causing her to drop her drink. She quickly turned to the person and exclaimed, "Watch it!" She quickly regretted her rudeness when she realized that she bumped into Sami Brady. "Oh, I am so sorry."

"No, I am sorry. I made you spill your drink. How about I buy you a new one? Least I could do."

"Thanks." Sami and Abigail went back to the counter and ordered their drinks. After paying, Sami and Abigail made their way to a table. "Thanks again. Sorry I was rude to you earlier. I just have a lot on my mind… well, two people in particular, actually."

Sami stirred her drink with a coffee straw. "Ah. Someone causing you trouble?" Sami took a sip of her drink.

"Yes. Stefano and Kate Dimera."

Sami gestured to Abigail that she knew where she was coming from. "I completely understand. Those two can really ruin your day. Heck, your life."

Abigail remembered that Sami and Kate had quite the relationship when she was with Lucas. "How were you able to survive Kate when you were with my Uncle Lucas? She really tried to ruin you any chance she got, right?"

"It was a struggle." Sami thought back to all the scheming that she and Kate did to bring the other down. "I still have to deal with her now, since she's married to Stefano, but it's definitely not as bad as when I was in a relationship with Lucas or Austin. The woman would not quit. You just have to fight back and stand your ground. Don't let her get the best of you. I have to do that with Stefano as well."

Abigail could see the frustration in Sami's face as she talked about Kate. "Kate is such a bitch."

Abigail was then startled when she heard the woman's voice behind her. "Wow. I cannot imagine what your mother would say if she heard you say such nasty words, Abigail." Kate walked over to the table and glared at Abigail.

Abigail decided to take Sami's advice and stand up to Kate. "Well, you are a bitch and that's the nicest word out there to describe you!"

Kate began to laugh as she played with her bracelets. "Well, it takes one to know one. Listen Abigail. One day Chad is going to figure you out for who you really are and want nothing to do with you. You're damaged goods. Your father made damn sure of that." Abigail grabbed her coffee and stormed out of Java Café. She was humiliated and hurt and could not handle the pressure of having to one up Kate. Kate smiled as she saw the girl runaway. "Well, that was way too easy." Kate began to walk to the counter to order a drink.

"Not so fast, Kate." Sami stood in her way. "What has happened to you? You are simply pathetic!"

Annoyed, Kate rolled her eyes. "I don't have to listen to this."

"But you will." Sami gave Kate a smirk as she crossed her arms and leaned back to look Kate over. "I guess I should not be too surprised: Once a whore… always a whore… but you've really sunk to a new low. Now you're offering your destructive services to your step-sons. God forbid that Chad and EJ should make the same mistake that their father and your actual children made when they allowed you to ruin their lives." Sami grabbed her drink and walked out leaving Kate to let out a screech of rage.

"Damn that woman. She's a thorn in my side!" Kate walked out of Java Café deciding she needed something a bit stronger to take the edge off.

* * *

><p>Holding his hand, Will walked with Johnny down the stairs. Johnny was curious about why Lucas and Rafe did not want to live in Salem. "Well, my dad works in China and Rafe is not allowed to come near our family." Will did not feel comfortable talking to Johnny about these things. As they made their way to the bottom of the stairs, the front door opened. Stefano made his way into the house and was delighted to see Will and Johnny.<p>

"William and Giovanni! It's so good to see you!" Stefano went over to Johnny and gave him a kiss. Stefano turned his attention to Will. "I am so glad that I ran into you because there is something I need to say to you, William." Will wondered what that could be and smiled nervously. "I should apologize."

Will became more nervous. "For what?"

"I want to apologize for how I dismissed you after I found out Chad was my son. I know that you and I were bonding when you lived here in the mansion, and I quite enjoyed our conversations. I think you enjoyed them as well."

"I did." Will was a bit worried as to where this was going.

"Well, I hope that we can start back to where we left off. I would really like to have you as part of this family again. I know your grandmother would agree."

"Well, I don't know," Will hesitated. He thought about Stefano's history with his family. He knew that the Brady side of his family would not want him to have anything to do with the guy.

"How about a proposition. I remember asking you last year if you were interested in an internship at Dimera Enterprises. How about a summer internship?" Will grabbed his neck and was not sure what to say, which Stefano picked up on. "You do not have to answer now. Just take some time to think about it." Stefano looked at Johnny. "I can tell little Giovanni is ready to go. He's bored with all this adult talk."

Will liked that Stefano implied he was an adult. "Yeah. I'll think about it and get back to you." Will picked up Johnny and headed out.

* * *

><p>Gabi and Sonny were hanging out at her place getting to know each other better. "So how many brothers and sisters do you have?" Gabi pulled her hair back and put a hair tie on.<p>

"No sisters, but I have three older brothers." Sonny smiled. "I'm the baby, and though it has it's perks, it can be annoying sometimes."

Gabi laughed and agreed. "I completely understand. So are your brothers as cute as you?"

"I'm not sure how to answer that," Sonny said as he put his arm on the back of the couch. "What about you? How many brothers and sisters?"

"Well, I have three older brothers and a sister. I think I told you that…" before Gabi could continue, Dario walked out of his bedroom. Dario and Sonny spotted each other and the room got awkward. Gabi picked up on it and tried to smooth things over. "I think you know my brother, Dario. He works at your mom's bar."

Sonny pulled his arm off of the back of the couch and prepared to lift the rest of his body off the couch. "I think I should go. I think it was a mistake to hang out here." Sonny realized that Gabi was with Dario the night before when Dario made the 'fag' comment. "I feel like an idiot."

Gabi tried to stop Sonny from leaving the couch, but Sonny got up and headed towards the door. Before he could leave, Dario quickly got in his way. "Wait. You don't have to leave." Sonny took a step back and avoided making eye contact with Dario. Dario could sense that Sonny felt embarrassed to be in the same room with him. "I know you probably don't want to talk to me or even see me, and I am sorry that I have made you feel that way about me. I am even more sorry for what I said last night at your mother's bar. It was very stupid of me to use that word… even if someone like you wasn't around to hear it."

Sonny looked at Dario and gave him a stern look. "Like me? Am I not a normal person?"

Gabi quickly got up and made her way over to the guys. "Sonny, you'll have to excuse my brother. He's not very good at apologies." Dario tried to stop Gabi from stepping in, but Gabi did not let him stop her. "I'm helping you, Dario." She turned back to Sonny. "My brother is really sincere in his apology. He feels really guilty about what he said last night. He puts his foot in his mouth a lot. Trust me, I know!. He can be an idiot…"

"Ay, Gabi. Yo no soy sordo." Dario had enough of his sister calling him stupid.

Gabi continued, "…but he's a really nice and caring guy. Please don't hold this against him. Once you get to know him, you won't regret forgiving him."

Dario looked down. "Thanks, sis. I think I can handle it from here." Gabi went back over and sat on the couch. Dario looked at Sonny. "I really do regret what I said, and I do have a problem with saying things I shouldn't. I hope you will accept my apology." Dario put his hand out to Sonny.

Sonny noticed that Dario seemed genuine in his apology and sincerely wanted to forget what had happened. Taking Dario's hand, Sonny smiled. "I accept and forgive you. It was an honest mistake." Dario was relieved and smiled back.

* * *

><p>Melanie was reading a Latin cookbook when there was a knock on the door. She put the book down on the coffee table, got up, and opened the door. She was taken back when she saw that it was Nathan. "Nathan… come in."<p>

Nathan slowly made his way inside the apartment and turned around to watch Melanie close the door. Nathan had in his head all he wanted to say to Melanie, but when she turned around to look at him his mind went blank.

Melanie wondered why Nathan came over. She had invited him inside, but he had yet to say a word. She walked over to the coffee table to make sure everything looked neat and tidy. This was the first time she had been alone with him since the beginning of the year. She remembered standing in the same spot with Nathan. Her father had walked in forcing Nathan to leave. She remembered Nathan moving his mouth to silently say, 'I love you' and then walking out the door. She shook her head to get rid of the thoughts realizing that Nathan had yet to say a word since she opened that door and let him inside.

Nathan watched Melanie as she began to bite her fingernails in anticipation. "You're probably wondering why I came over here." Nathan smiled softly as Melanie shook her head. "I guess I just wanted to make sure that you were okay with my coming back. I left without a word and then I came back without a warning. Are you okay?" Nathan wanted nothing more to be closer to her so she could tell him through her touch, but he knew that was not possible.

"Yeah. I'm fine. It does not bother me at all that you're back." Melanie removed her hand from her mouth and headed toward the kitchen area. "Do you want some coffee or tea?"

Nathan got excited that Melanie had invited him to stay for a drink. "Yeah. I'll have whatever you're having." He walked over to the couch, but remained standing.

"Two hot teas coming up." Melanie put water into a teapot and put it on the stove. She made her way over to Nathan. She was glad he accepted her offer for a drink. "Nathan… I want to apologize for the way I treated you before you moved away. I was still grieving my separation from Philip, and I just was not ready to jump into anything… even if…" Melanie stopped herself from finishing that sentence. "I really was hurtful to you, and I am sorry for that."

Nathan graciously nodded his head as Melanie apologized. He really did not like how things played out before he rushed out of Salem. He really thought things would have ended differently. "Well, that is all in the past, and I think we both have learned from that experience." Melanie nodded and seemed happy that they were able to move on from that. "How about we forget about all of that and just start over? I really have missed you."

"I would really like that. I've missed you, too."

"Friends?"

"Friends." Melanie was pleased that they were getting a new start.

* * *

><p>At the Salem Gym, Chad was spotting his brother EJ, who was lifting weights. After they were done with their reps, EJ got up and headed to the water fountain. Chad followed EJ and got a drink as well. EJ turned to his brother, "So how are you handling the family business?" EJ got another quick drink.<p>

"It's keeping me on my toes… that's for sure," Chad shared as he began to stretch.

"And how are you handling the family?"

"The family has been interesting. I went from an only child to having brothers and sisters. Growing up, I always wondered what that was like and now I know. It's actually kind of great." Chad thought about how disconnected his old family was. "I feel like I am one of you guys. I feel like I belong."

EJ was happy to hear that, and he knew that his father would be pleased as well. "Well, you are one of us. If there's one thing that I know from experience, it's the fact that you, Lexie, and I never had it easy growing up. Something seemed off until we found out who we really were." EJ watched Chad get another drink from the water fountain. He wanted to move the conversation to something he was more interested in. "Since you've been spending so much time with the family, have you been able to spend time with your friends?"

Chad thought about it. "Well, I guess. I spend a lot of my free time with Abigail."

"What about Will? You two are friends, right?"

"Yeah." Chad thought it was weird that EJ was asking about Will and his friends. "Will and I don't really hang like we used to. I guess we stopped because we had our own personal stuff to deal with. Why are you so curious about Will?"

EJ played it off as if there was no particular reason. "I was just curious how life was before you found out you were my brother. You know, if you wanted, you could ask Will to come work out with us sometimes. This does not strictly have to be just the two of us."

Chad liked the idea of Will joining them. It would diminish the pressure Chad felt of needing to impress his older brother. "Yeah. That would be cool. Will and I used to work out together. I'll talk to him."

"Good. Let's get back to it." Chad and EJ made their way over to the weight bench. EJ was glad that Chad was going to talk to Will about joining them because he secretly hoped that this would help mend things between Sami and Will. EJ thought that if he could get closer to Will, Will would eventually give his blessing to EJ and Sami's relationship. Chad would be the perfect buffer of Will's current distrust of EJ.


	8. Chapter 8 Three's A Crowd

**Chapter 8: Three's A Crowd – Tuesday, June 28th, 2011**

Nathan and Melanie were sitting on the couch enjoying tea and conversation. Melanie liked catching up with Nathan. "Don't get me wrong, I learned a lot at Johns Hopkins, but it just didn't feel right. It wasn't home." Nathan smiled and then took a sip. "As you know, I grew up in Nashville, but my time in Salem really meant a lot. I definitely missed working at Salem University Hospital."

"It hasn't changed much, but I know that everyone there missed you as well. I'm glad that you're back." Melanie lifted her cup to take a drink, but there was a knock on the door. She quickly got up and placed her cup on a coaster. "I have no idea who that could be." Melanie opened the door, and found Dario on the other side. "Dario. What are you doing here?"

"I came over to see if you wanted to hang out." Dario walked in as he continued, "Maybe we could grab…" Dario stopped as he spotted Nathan sitting on the couch. "I'm sorry. I did not realize you had company." Melanie walked over to Dario awkwardly. "I should go."

"No. You could…"

Dario interrupted, "No, it's okay. I just remembered that Adrienne asked me to come in early today. I'll see you later." Dario looked away from Melanie and left.

Melanie walked over to the door and closed it. She made her way back over to Nathan. "Sorry about that." Melanie grabbed her cup and sat back down on the couch.

Nathan looked at his cup. "So who exactly is this Dario guy?"

"He's just a friendly neighbor. That's all." Melanie took a sip of her tea hoping that was all Nathan would ask about Dario.

* * *

><p>Sami walked into the Dimera Mansion hoping to catch Will before he left with Johnny. "Will, are you still here?" Sami did not get a response, so she screamed towards the stairs. "Will? Johnny?"<p>

"You missed them. They are no longer here." Sami turned towards the main room and saw Stefano at the door. Sami sensed that Stefano was annoyed with her. "I believe William said he was taking Giovanni to the park."

Sami was a bit upset that she missed them. "I know they were going there. I was just hoping to talk to Will before he left. You can go back to whatever it was that you were doing. I'll stop screaming now."

Sami tried to dismiss Stefano and was about to head up the stairs, but Stefano got her attention when he said, "William and I had a nice little talk before he headed out." He then turned around and walked into the main room. Sami followed him.

"What do you mean, you and my son had a 'nice little talk'?" Sami gave him a look to let him know that she wanted answers.

Stefano laughed at her. "Why are you so serious right now? William and I were just talking man to man. It's... how do you say... 'guy stuff'." Stefano went to pour himself a drink. He loved playing with Sami's mind. It was too easy sometimes.

Sami was not amused. "Stefano. I swear… if you have any kind of plans regarding my son, you'll have to answer to me." Sami began to think of how Stefano could use Will.

Stefano disregarded Sami and took a seat. "You know that your son will do whatever he wants to do. He's not a little boy anymore."

"Why are you even interested in him?" Sami's voice began to get louder. "He's not your grandson. Unlike Johnny and Sydney, he lucked out with that one! Stay away from Will!"

"What is going on in here? Samantha, I could hear you screaming upstairs." EJ walked in and spotted his father grinning in his seat. "What did you tell her this time, father?"

Stefano got up from his seat. "I have no idea what you're talking about." Stefano turned to Sami. "This was amusing. We should do it again." Stefano walked out leaving Sami alone with EJ.

EJ walked over to Sami and began to rub her shoulders. He kissed her forehead. "I don't know what he said to you, but you know my father is just working you up, right?"

Sami sighed and looked down. She remembered talking to Abigail about it earlier. "I know. I just have this feeling that he has a plan that involves our children and Will."

"Don't worry about that. My father has no say in how we raise our children. It's you and me." EJ kissed Sami on the forehead again as he wrapped his arms around her.

* * *

><p>At the park, Will and Johnny were kicking a soccer ball around. Chad walked up and spotted them. "Hey guys. What are you two up to?"<p>

Will looked up when he heard Chad's voice. He could not help but smile when he saw Chad. "Hey. I was just teaching Johnny some tricks. What are you doing out here?"

"Came out here for some fresh air after my workout today at the gym." Chad remembered EJ's recommendation of inviting Will to join them.

Before he could ask Will if he was interested, Johnny walked over to Chad and pulled on his shorts. Chad grabbed his shorts before they fell off. "Hey, Johnny. What's up?"

"Are you still dating that mean girl? I don't like her at all." Johnny looked up at Chad and Will as they began to laugh.

Chad knelt down to Johnny. "Yeah, I am still dating Abigail. Even though she can be mean sometimes, she can also be very nice. I'm sure you will like her if we took you out for ice cream." Johnny seemed to really like that idea as he began to lick his lips.

Will, placing his hand on his neck, watched as Chad stood back up. "So how do you handle Abigail when she's mean?"

"Well, I guess…" Will's watch made a noise causing Will to look at it. Chad noticed that Will was interested in the time. "You need to be somewhere?"

"Yeah… sorry. I told Gabi that I would meet her at her place today after playing with Johnny. I'm going to need to take him back." Will felt bad for cutting Chad off like that. He wished they had more time to hang out. "How about we hook up later… I mean… meet up… I did not really mean hook up…" Will decided to stop talking so that he did not dig himself deeper. "Sorry."

Chad lightly tapped Will's arm. "It's cool man. Just relax." Chad smiled as he noticed Will was trying to recompose himself. "You weren't always this homophobic before, right?"

"What's homophobic?" Johnny asked. Will nervously laughed.

Chad began to scratch his head. "Hey. Tell you what. I'll take Johnny back since I am headed to the Dimera Mansion anyway. You have fun with Gabi and we can make plans later to hang out."

"Sounds good." Will knelt down and gave Johnny a hug. He watched as Chad and Johnny left and then headed to Gabi's apartment.

* * *

><p>At the Horton House, Jennifer and Daniel were cuddled on the couch watching a movie on her laptop. The lights were off. Daniel and Jennifer were really into the movie. Suddenly, they heard the front door slam and then a scream. Jennifer jumped out of Daniel's arms a bit frightened. Daniel hurried over and turned on the lights. "What was that?"<p>

Abigail walked into the room and realized that she had interrupted a movie date between her mother and Daniel. "Oh my gosh. I am so sorry. I just had to let out my frustration. I did not think anyone was here."

"No, you're fine Abigail." Jennifer rushed over to Abigail's side to make sure she was okay. "What frustration were you letting out? Something happen?"

Daniel watched as Abigail took a breath before explaining. "I had a run in with Kate at Java Café. She really got to me, and I hate it!"

As soon as Daniel heard the name 'Kate', his blood pressure went up. "I'll take that as a cue that I need to leave."

"Daniel, you don't have to leave." Jennifer did not want their date to end.

"I really… I mean, really would like to stay and bash Kate. I know how evil that woman is, but I think it's best I stay out of this one." Daniel went over and gave Jennifer a kiss goodbye. "Call me later." Jennifer nodded and Daniel left. Jennifer went back to her daughter.

"Sorry, mom. It's the afternoon. Who has dates in the afternoon? I did not think you two would be on a date now." Abigail thought that she was now spreading her misfortune onto everyone else. "This day is just awful!"

Jennifer hugged Abigail. "Honey, why are you letting Kate bother you so much? What did she say to you?"

"She pretty much called me a bitch with a dead beat father and that Chad will want to break up with me because of that." Abigail sat on the couch and began to tear up.

Jennifer went over to Abigail and sat next to her. "Abigail, Kate does not know what she's talking about. You cannot let her get to you like this. There is no reason for you to feel threatened by her." Jennifer began to rub her daughter's back to help her calm down.

"Mom, but she is a threat. Don't you remember what she did to your parents' marriage? She broke them up and she could easily break Chad and me up." Jennifer was at a loss for words. She thought about the things Kate did to her mother. Abigail wiped her face and calmed down a bit. "I don't even know if Chad is worth it."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Chad is a Dimera. His transformation is inevitable." Abigail looked to her mother. "I mean, look at your experience with Peter Blake. He was a nice guy when you met him, right? Then he transformed into this evil guy. He's not even a real Dimera. He was adopted! What does that say for Chad?"

Jennifer continued to rub Abigail's back. "Abigail, you are thinking too much about what could be. You do not need to think this to death. It will never work out if you do that."

Abigail stood up frustrated. "Mom, you don't get it. I have to think this much if I am going to avoid what happened to grandpa and grandma's marriage as well as yours and dad's marriage. I don't want to fall in love with Chad knowing I am going to get a divorce like the rest of my family."

Abigail's words really hit Jennifer hard. She looked away for a minute to collect her thoughts to focus on Abigail's well-being. She stood up and walked behind Abigail, who was now looking into the mirror. "Sweetie, I am so sorry that the divorce is taking such a toll on you. The last thing I want you to second guess is love. Are you trying to tell me that you are in love with Chad?"

Abigail turned to her mother and gave her a hug. "I don't know. All I know is that I am scared. I think Chad loves me, but I don't know if it's enough."

Trying to hold it together for Abigail, Jennifer held her daughter. "Unfortunately, you never do until you try. Is he at least worth that?"

Abigail shook her head. "I think so." Abigail thought about how she was a mess and separated from her mother to look at her. "I'm sorry I was a bit dramatic just now."

"It's okay. Just come to me whenever you need to talk. You know I am here for you." Jennifer smiled as she put her hand through Abigail's hair.

* * *

><p>Chad and Johnny arrived at the Dimera Mansion. When they walked in, Chad announced that they were home. "Home sweet home, little man." Johnny saw his mom come out of the main room into the foyer and got excited.<p>

"Mommy! Will took me to the park. We had so much fun!" Johnny ran over to Sami and gave her a hug.

Sami laughed at how excited Johnny was. "That's good. Where's Will now?"

Chad stepped up to Sami. "I told Will that I would take Johnny home so he could head over to Gabi's to hang out."

"That was nice of you." Sami smiled at Chad and then turned her attention to Johnny. "Johnny, why don't you go ahead and go into the living room. Your father is reading a story to Sydney. You should go help your dad with that." Johnny got excited and went into the main room.

Chad noticed that Sami wanted to talk, so he stuck around. "Was there anything else?"

Sami moved her hair behind her ear. "Yeah, actually. It's about Will. How did he seem?"

Chad was a bit confused by her question. "What do you mean? He seemed fine. Is something wrong?"

"I guess I am just a bit concerned about him. I think you know that he's not really my biggest fan right now, so he is keeping me in the dark about his life." Sami felt a bit uncomfortable with telling Chad all of this, but continued, "The last time I talked to him he seemed stuck. I guess the reason I am telling you all of this is because I was wondering if you could keep an eye out on him. I'd greatly appreciate it."

Chad nodded. "Sure. I'll keep an eye out for him." Sami thanked Chad and went back into the main room. Chad thought about what Sami had said and wondered if Will was okay. Sami now had him worried.

* * *

><p>Sonny and Gabi were still talking at her apartment, but things got a bit more serious as Gabi was now talking about her situation with her oldest brother, Rafe. "It's all pretty messed up and I can't really talk to Will about this because it happened to his mom. You know?" Sonny felt a bit awkward, but felt bad for Gabi as she began to cry. She really was not in a good place. Sonny put his arm around Gabi to comfort her. She then leaned in and placed her head on Sonny's chest.<p>

Using the key that Gabi gave him, Will opened the door and was surprised to find Gabi in Sonny's arms. His eyebrows went up when Gabi and Sonny looked over at him. "What's going on here?"

Gabi lifted her head from Sonny's chest. "Nothing. Sonny was just helping me."

Will was a bit hurt seeing Sonny and Gabi together and was having a problem hiding it. "Helping you with what? Why are you crying?"

Gabi picked up on Will's jealousy. "Are you seriously jealous?" Gabi got off the couch and walked towards Will. "You're an idiot!"

Hearing Gabi call Will an idiot made Sonny very uncomfortable. Sonny quickly got up. "I am so sorry, Will. It's not what you think… I promise."

"Of course it's not what he thinks…" Gabi shot back.

"I should go." Sonny headed towards the door, but Will stopped him.

"No, I should go." Will put his hands together and put them over his mouth. "Sonny, you stay here with Gabi and be her friend. I should go." Will headed for the door and opened it.

"Where are you going?" Gabi suddenly felt bad for what she said to him. She did not want him to leave.

"I just need to do some serious thinking. I need to be alone." Will left and closed the door behind him. He pulled his phone out and sent a text to Chad: "Anyway you could meet me at the pier? I could really use some company."


	9. Chapter 9 Broken

**Chapter 9: Broken – Tuesday, June 28th, 2011**

Will made his way to the pier and took a seat on the bench. Will was still reeling about the feelings he experienced when he saw Gabi with Sonny. He wondered why Gabi was so harsh with him. He wondered why he felt jealous. He realized that his jealousy was focused on Sonny, and a sick feeling came over him as a thought crossed his mind. If Gabi and Sonny were together, all this pressure he was feeling could go away. The thought of being free of Gabi was so appealing and that made Will sick to his stomach because Gabi had done nothing wrong. He did not understand it.

Sonny walked up and spotted Will sitting on the bench. He had followed Will there from Gabi's apartment and felt bad that he had caused problems between Gabi and Will. Sonny contemplated telling Will that he was gay to help explain why Gabi called him an idiot. Part of him liked that Will did not know because it seemed anytime he told someone he was gay, they treated him differently. He liked the way that Will treated him and he did not want that to change. On the other hand, Sonny knew that he had come too far in his life to hide who he was.

Will spotted Sonny standing there watching him. "Sonny. What are you doing here? Did you follow me?"

Sonny walked closer to Will, but still kept his distance from him. "Sorry. I just felt bad with how things went down back there. I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"I'm fine, but I appreciate you checking in on me." Will wanted to play things off with Sonny, so that he would leave. "I just need to be alone right now." Before Sonny could say anything, Chad showed up. Sonny noticed that when Chad walked up to Will, Will's face lit up. He also noted that Will stood up to greet him.

"Will, are you okay man? I came as soon as I got your text." Chad looked Will over and noted that he seemed to be okay.

Will did not want to get into the real reason he texted Chad because Sonny was there. "I just wanted to hang out with you… like we talked about earlier at the park."

Sonny watched Chad and Will's interaction and noted the way they looked at each other. Chad's phone made a sound. He looked at it and saw that it was a text message from his dad. "Wow. Stefano knows how to text." Chad read the message and seemed a bit disappointed. "I hate to do this, but can I get a rain check on hanging out? Apparently something urgent is going on, and I am needed at the mansion."

"Yeah, sure." Will was disappointed as well, but figured Chad needed to go if it was urgent.

"Cool." Chad shook Will's hand and was about to walk away, but stopped because he remembered something. "One more thing. EJ and I thought that you should join us when we work out at the gym. Are you cool with that?"

Will's face lit up again. "Yeah. That would be great."

"Sweet." Chad waved at Sonny, whom he had ignored during this whole exchange, and left.

Will took a seat again on the bench. Sonny walked over to take a seat next to him. Will was a little annoyed that Sonny was still around. He was starting to feel a bit awkward around him. "Will, I noticed something when Chad walked up to you. There was something in your eyes when you saw him. It was like your sadness was gone. You really like him, don't you?"

Will felt awkward with Sonny before, but now he felt awkward even more. Will began to ponder his feelings for Chad. Once again the unidentified feeling began to take over making Will paranoid. "What are you trying to say, Sonny? Are you trying to imply that I am gay? … because I am not. I'm not gay. I'm not."

Sonny realized that he had made Will very uncomfortable. "I am sorry. I was not trying to imply that you were… gay… I was just noting that Chad seems to be really important to you… a good friend, if I may say so. You guys have a real friendship." Sonny hoped that would make Will feel better about everything. "I really hope that I can have a real friendship like that in Salem."

Will felt bad for letting all that out with Sonny. He honestly did not know where that came from. "I'm sorry I blew up at you like that. I guess all this stress I have been holding in is finally wanting out." Will began to think about Chad again. Chad had this power over him, and he was not sure if it was normal. Will looked over and realized that Sonny was talking to him. "Sorry, what?"

"I was just saying that we should hang out." Will got up from the bench. "Where are you going?"

"I need to talk to Gabi. I just left her like that and she's probably upset. I'll just see you at work or something."

After Will walked away, Sonny remained on the bench and thought about Will. He wished that he and Will had the same friendship as Chad and Will had.

* * *

><p>Chad walked into the main room at the Dimera Mansion to find EJ and Stefano talking about business. "What's the emergency?"<p>

Stefano turned to Chad, while EJ took a seat on the sofa. "Oh, you are here. Listen, I need you to go with Elvis. You two are going to meet up with an informant because he has some important information that we need to know." Chad was annoyed that the emergency turned out to be just a job that Stefano wanted him to do. He really wanted to hang out with Will. Stefano continued, "Let your brother do all the talking, but pay attention. You can learn a lot about how these meetings work because soon you will be doing these meetings alone. Is that understood?"

Chad shook his head. "Understood." Chad made eye contact with EJ, who stood up from the sofa. He was now a bit excited to go with him on this mission. He wondered if anyone would die this time.

"You ready?" EJ grabbed his keys out of his pocket.

"Yeah. Let's go." Chad and EJ left.

* * *

><p>Nathan took a quick sip of his coffee after it was handed to him by the barista. He had decided to stop by the Java Café before heading home after a short shift at the hospital. He left a tip in the jar on the counter by the cash register and then headed for the door. He stopped when he spotted Dario walking in. Nathan decided that he would avoid making eye contact with Dario hoping that Dario would not want to talk to him. Unfortunately, Dario spotted him. "Nathan, right?"<p>

"Yep. Dario?"

"Yeah. You have a minute?" Dario was determined to ask him a few questions about his relationship with Melanie.

Nathan really did not want to talk to Dario and decided that he would politely blow him off. "I'm sorry, but I am in a bit of hurry to get home. Maybe another time."

Dario stopped Nathan from leaving. "This won't take long, I promise. Just one question." Nathan could tell Dario was determined. He told Dario to go ahead. "What is your history with Melanie?"

Nathan was a bit shocked that Dario was very forward with his question. He realized that Dario was asking the question because he was interested in Melanie. "Dude, that's kind of personal. Why don't you just ask Melanie?"

"Because I'd rather hear it from you. So what happened between the two of you? I can tell something happened."

Nathan pondered answering Dario's questions about Melanie and decided to let Dario know the truth. He figured it would make Dario back off from Melanie. "Yeah. Melanie and I were in love, but things did not work out. Satisfied?"

"Do you still love her?"

"I have to go. I answered your one question, so I did what you asked." Nathan walked out. He could have easily told Dario the truth to make him angry, but he decided that he was not going to play that game.

As Nathan walked out, Kate came in and spotted Sami sitting at a table with Johnny and Sydney. Johnny and Sydney were coloring while Sami was eating a muffin. She decided to go over and make conversation. "Well, if it isn't Sami with half of her litter…" Kate smirked as Sami turned her body towards Kate.

"What do you want?" Sami was not in the mood for Kate's games.

"Just wanted to let you know that I talked to Lucas today. He told me that Allie was doing exceptionally well and has made quite a few friends in Hong Kong. She seems to be really happy."

Sami was really interested in hearing about Allie and was glad that her daughter was settling in well with her father, even if she missed her a lot. "That's good to hear. I need to call her again." She looked at Johnny and Sydney. They were really into their coloring books.

"You know I was thinking that since Allie is doing so well in Hong Kong that it might be good for Will to go there. He just seems so depressed here because of your bad choices in life. I mean it's got to be hard to see your mother's mistakes everywhere you go."

Sami's smile soon disappeared. "You're one to talk. I should have known we could not have a civil conversation without you trying to provoke a fight. Kate, I really am not in the mood to do this with you, so could you please go haunt someone else?"

"I was not trying to provoke a fight. I was just trying to be honest with you. Will is not happy in Salem and you're to blame." Kate walked away leaving Sami even more frustrated. Sami wondered if Will really needed a change of scenery.

* * *

><p>Justin and Adrienne were enjoying a late night dinner at the Brady Pub. As they were waiting for their food, Adrienne and Justin were discussing how it was a blessing that Sonny moved to Salem. "I really wish all my boys were in Salem, but the fact that we have one here now makes me really happy." Adrienne smiled at her husband. "I'm really proud of Sonny, and I think he is going to do great at Salem U."<p>

Justin took a sip and agreed. "He seems to like it here. I haven't seen him complain about anything. Have you?"

Adrienne thought back to the night before when Dario made the comment. "Well, there was a bit of an ordeal at the Cheatin' Heart last night. Dario slipped the f-word."

Justin put his cup down. "Oh, wow. How did Sonny respond?"

"He was really upset and Dario felt really bad. Dario apologized right after it happened as he had no idea that Sonny was gay. Dario promised me that he would apologize to our son." Adrienne began to play with the straw in her drink.

"Well, I am glad that Dario apologized. People need to be more careful." Justin picked up on Adrienne's sadness. "What's wrong, Adrienne?"

"I'm just worried about Sonny. I mean, what if people don't accept him. What if people are rude, and what if something bad happens?" Adrienne's eyes began to water just thinking about the awful things that could happen to Sonny.

Justin took Adrienne's hand. "Sweetheart, that's a lot of 'what ifs' that probably will not happen. We have a lot of family and friends here that are loving and supportive. Sonny is a great guy and that's all that matters. They won't even care if Sonny is gay." All of a sudden, plates came crashing down right by their table. Justin looked up and saw Caroline standing there in shock. She had dropped their food. Justin and Adrienne got up and began to help Caroline pick up the mess. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Caroline was still in shock at what happened. "They just slipped write out of my hand. I am so sorry. I guess I am really clumsy today." Caroline could not believe what she had overheard.

* * *

><p>It was dark out when Chad and EJ made their way to the park. Chad looked around and did not see anyone. "So are we going to end up in a life or death situation this time?" Chad let out a small laugh, but EJ did not even smile. "I was just kidding."<p>

EJ spotted the informant walking up and adjusted his coat. "Just be cool and don't say anything. Let me do the talking. Watch and learn little brother." The informant walked up and greeted EJ as 'Mr. Dimera'. "This is my brother. He's recently joined the family business." The informant greeted Chad as 'Mr. Dimera' as well. "So what have you got for us."

The informant looked around and then back to EJ. "It's about Rafe Hernandez." EJ was intrigued as to what the informant had to say about Rafe. The man was locked up pretty much for life. He told the informant to continue. "According to an inmate, Rafe has been talking about having some kind of evidence on your family's involvement in illegal business. There are rumors that he is cutting a deal to take time off of his sentence."

EJ was not pleased to hear this. "Do you have any idea what proof he could have?"

"No. Not yet." Chad watched EJ and wondered how serious this information was. He did not like what he was hearing. "Boss, do you want me to take care of him? I can finish him off."

EJ put his hand on his chin with his index finger over his mouth. He put his hand back down. "No. Sit tight for now. For all we know Rafe could be bluffing. He knows better than to just talk about what he knows. He knows that we have our connections and might be trying to get our attention."

"Right. I'll see what else I can dig up."

"Thanks. You're free to go." EJ dismissed the informant and watched him leave. After the informant was gone, EJ turned to Chad. "Well, this should be interesting." Suddenly they heard a noise.

"What was that?"

EJ looked around and did not find anything. "Probably just a squirrel. Let's go." Chad and EJ left, unknowingly passing Abigail who was hiding behind a tree. She wondered what she had just witnessed. She could not believe Chad was involved. She took a deep breath and decided to head home.

* * *

><p>Will made his way back to Gabi's apartment door. Before going in, he thought about what he was going to do once he walked inside. He wanted to break up with Gabi because it was not working out. He was miserable with her and it was not fair to either one of them. He wanted to be friends with Gabi again. He wanted to like her again. Their dating seemed to ruin what they once had… a great friendship. The word 'gay' unexpectedly popped into his head. He tried to shake it off, but he realized that if he broke up with Gabi, then other people might notice the way he looked at Chad like Sonny had earlier. He did not want others to pick up on his peculiar feelings for Chad. Will did not understand it himself, but he knew he did not want to be called out on being gay when he knew he was not.<p>

Will used his key and walked in and found Gabi moping on the couch. "Hey." Gabi's head immediately popped up when she heard his voice. She went over to him and gave him a hug.

"I'm so sorry for being so mean to you today. I should not have said those things." She gave Will another hug and then a peck on the lips.

"I'm ready," Will let out after the kiss. Gabi was a bit shocked to hear him say those words. Will was surprised as well.

"Ready? You mean…" she gave Will a look.

Will nervously smiled. "Yeah. If you are okay. We can…" Gabi grabbed his hand and pulled him to her room. She threw him on the bed and began to make out with him. Will tried to get into it and began to unbutton his shirt. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Gabi pulled off her blouse and threw it on the floor. She straddled Will. "Are you?"

"Yeah," Will lied. He was nervous as hell and was not sure what he was doing. Gabi kissed Will again and began to undo his belt. She remembered that they needed protection.

"I'll be right back." Gabi headed to her brother's room. While Gabi was gone, Will got up and pulled off his shorts leaving him in only his boxer briefs. He pulled Gabi's covers and got under them. Gabi returned with a condom. "I hope this fits." She handed Will the condom to put on while she finished getting undressed. Once she was just in her lingerie, she joined Will under the covers. He seemed to be struggling with the condom. "Do you need me to help?" Gabi began to kiss him to get him excited. Will tried to arouse himself by hyping the idea that he was about to have sex with a beautiful girl. He began to get frustrated when he realized it was not working, but that did not stop him from giving up.

"Maybe we can kiss a bit more to make me ready." Gabi and Will began to make out again and things started getting heavy. Gabi's hands began to wonder all over Will's chest as Will tried to excite himself by pulling on Gabi's hair. Will was trying so hard that tears began to form in his eyes. Gabi's hand began to go lower and reached Will's briefs, but Will grabbed her hand and stopped her.

"Stop!" he let out. "Stop… stop… stop." Gabi got off Will and was concerned that she might have hurt him somehow. "I'm sorry. I cannot do this." Will brought his knees to his head and wrapped his hands around his knees. Speechless, Gabi watched as he placed his head down onto his knees and began to cry. Will was broken and neither of them knew why.


	10. Chapter 10 Advice?

**Chapter 10: Advice? – Wednesday, June 29th, 2011**

The next evening Melanie, Abigail, and Gabi decided to have a girl's night powwow at the Horton house. "I am so glad we agreed to do this because I have a feeling we all have some issues with the men in our lives. So thank you, Abigail, for putting this little shindig together."

Abigail brought out a few cartons of ice cream and passed out some spoons. "It's my pleasure. I am just glad that we all were free at the same time." Abigail pulled off the tops and began to dig into one of the cartons. "So Melanie, what's going on with Nathan and Dario?" Abigail looked at Gabi when she said Dario's name. Gabi, who had been sulking a bit earlier, lifted her head as her interest was peaked.

Melanie put her spoon down and thought about how she was more confused about what to do with Nathan and Dario. "So once again I am torn between two guys. It's really frustrating that I have somehow ended up in this position again. I am clearly fickle!" Melanie put a spoonful of mint chocolate chip in her mouth.

"You can't help that the boys are drawn to you," Abigail joked.

Melanie rolled her eyes. "It's a curse." Melanie turned to Gabi. "You know that I really like hanging out with your brother. He's a great guy… kind of annoying in his own way, but very funny. He makes me laugh." Melanie turned her attention back to her carton of ice cream. "But then there's Nathan." Melanie smiled after she said his name. "We have so much history together. He was my first true love." Melanie's expression and tone quickly turned to concern. "Oh my gosh, is Nathan around? I just remembered he lived here!"

Abigail laughed. "He's not here. He had a late shift at the hospital tonight. Don't worry."

Melanie was relieved. "So I guess that's what I am dealing with. Two great guys, but I have no idea who I should choose."

Gabi nudged Melanie. She softly added who she thought Melanie should choose, "Pssst… my brother." The girls began to laugh. Gabi really needed to laugh.

Melanie stabbed the ice cream with her spoon. "So Abigail, what's going on with you and Chad?"

Abigail leaned on the table and threw her eyes back. "Oh my gosh. I think my boyfriend has gone evil!" Gabi and Melanie gave Abigail inquisitive looks. Abigail shook her head as she remembered the scene from the night before. "I saw Chad and EJ in the park last night and they were talking to this shady guy. It looked really serious. I did not hear much, but I think they were talking about…" Abigail stopped remembering that Gabi was there, "…taking care of someone."

Melanie and Gabi laughed it off. "Chad would never be involved in something like that."

"I'm serious! Stefano is going to have his way and turn Chad evil! If I don't stop Chad's journey of becoming a true Dimera, I am going to lose him for good. I don't know what to do."

"Maybe you should just sleep with him." Melanie and Abigail looked at Gabi in shock because they never expected her to say something like that. Gabi could tell that Abigail was quite serious and scared. "Maybe what you need to do is show Chad what he will be missing out on if he chooses his father over you."

Melanie was not sure about Gabi's advice. "I'm not sure if sex is the answer, but you should tell him that you're not comfortable with his choices and that he might lose you."

Abigail shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. I just know that something needs to happen." The girls continued eating ice cream and remained silent for a while.

Melanie turned to Gabi. "What is going on between you and Will?" Gabi flashed back to the night before and remembered how Will began to cry. She quickly became embarrassed about the whole situation. "Gabi? Did something happen?"

Abigail rolled her eyes as she figured that Will and Gabi probably had one of their fights again. "Just tell us. What happened? It's nothing we haven't heard before."

Gabi sighed and decided that maybe they could help her understand what she witnessed. "Will came over last night and told me he was ready for us to sleep together. We started to get into it. I got protection, but as he was trying to get it on, he started to freak out and started crying." Abigail and Melanie looked at each other and were speechless. Gabi got really scared and worried by their expressions. "What's wrong? Is… is it normal for guys to freak out like that? This is normal, right?"

Abigail nudged Melanie to say something. "Well, I… guess it happens." Melanie hoped Gabi bought what she was selling. "Did he tell you why he was so upset?"

Gabi thought back to what Will said. She remembered finally asking what was wrong. "He told me that he was just really stressed out and was just using me to forget about it. He said he felt really guilty with the way he was using me."

Melanie sighed in relief. "Well, that's understandable. I think he realized that he knew that you wanted it to be special and felt really bad that he was not giving that to you." Melanie grabbed Gabi's hand to reassure her.

Gabi cautiously smiled. "Are you sure? I mean, I personally did not mind that it was not that special or romantic. I was just happy that he was showing me that he was into me." Gabi thought about Will's recent demeanor. "He has been really stressed lately, and I think he's been keeping it in. Maybe he just couldn't anymore. I remember him saying that he was just trying to make everyone happy. Will is the most caring guy I know."

Melanie shook her head. "Yeah. Maybe you should try to help him relax. It seems like he might be dealing with a bit of anxiety. If things don't get better, I think he might need to see a psychiatrist."

"But it won't get that bad because you'll be able to help him with that." Abigail really did not like talking about depressing stuff. Suddenly, Abigail got an idea. "Oh my gosh! I think I know what we need to do to help with our troubles. We need to add a little fun to our lives." Abigail lifted her head as she announced her idea, "How about we throw a beach party?"

Melanie was not sure how a beach party would make things better, but Gabi was all over it. "Oh my gosh! That sounds perfect. We throw the party for our guys and make sure that they have a great time! We can set up everything… wine and dine them to either help them relax or help them see what they will be missing out on if they lost us." Gabi smiled at Abigail. She was feeling a bit hopeful about things with her and Will.

Melanie still was not sure about the idea. "Don't get me wrong. I think it's a great idea, but how does that help me? I have two guys!"

"Bring both of them. You can spend a little time with each of them and decide which one you want to be with." Gabi was really getting into this party idea.

"Oh, and Sonny can be the guy that keeps the other one busy. He can help out with that. He's an interesting guy, can really hold a conversation, and he can take the awkward out of any situation." Abigail had it all figured out. "So what do you say? Beach party?"

Melanie caved and nodded. "Okay. Beach party it is!" The girls gathered closer to discuss the details for their party.

* * *

><p>At the Dimera Mansion, EJ and Stefano were discussing the matter that was Rafe Hernandez. Stefano did not like that Rafe was openly making threats that he had something on them. "We should get rid of the guy and whoever is giving him this information immediately! The man really has it out for us."<p>

"Father, I think we need to think this through. Listen, Rafe is obviously talking about this openly for a reason. I think either he's trying to get our attention for some reason, or he's trying to let people know that if anything should happen to him we are the ones responsible for shutting him up."

"What do you recommend we do? Sit and wait?" Stefano really did not like that plan, but knew that EJ had a point.

"Well," EJ put his hand on his forehead to think, "I think we should wait to see what else our informant digs up. Rafe could be bluffing and have nothing at all. If that is true, he will eventually shut up and realize he cannot hurt our family anymore."

"Fine. We can play it your way for now, but we need to make sure we know his every move. We need to know who he is talking to…. If anyone is visiting him…. Everything!"

"The informant is working on it, father." The doorbell rang, but EJ and Stefano ignored it because they knew Harold would get it. "We will find out what Rafe's plan is in all of this."

Harold came in and introduced Lexie. "Dr. Carver." Harold left.

Lexie walked over and gave her father and brother a hug and kiss on the cheek. "It's good to see you both." She noticed it was quite tense in the room. "Did I interrupt something?"

Stefano tried to reassure Lexie that she had not. "No, no, no… Alexandra. We were just talking about the new living arrangement. Tell me, what brings you over tonight?"

"Well, Abe and I are having a barbeque this weekend for the holiday and we wanted you to come and enjoy some time at our house." Lexie smiled hoping they would accept her invitation.

"Who exactly is invited?"

"Everyone. You two, Kate, Sami, Chad, and the kids. We will have more than enough food and drinks."

Stefano rubbed his beard. "How does Abraham feel about this? He knows that you have invited us, right?"

Lexie laughed it off. "Yes, he know. Abe knows that it's important that I spend time with my family and even recommended having a barbecue this weekend. So he's all for it. Surprise!" Lexie smiled as she watched her father and brother contemplate whether they should come. "So?"

"Of course we will come. Now, you give EJ all the details and I will see you then. I have to go make a phone call upstairs." Stefano turned to EJ. "We will finish later." He gave Lexie a hug and kiss and walked off.

After Stefano left, Lexie turned to EJ with a hand on her hip. "Are you going to tell me what you and father were talking about before I got here?"

EJ smiled. "It was nothing. Just business. You know… the usual."

Lexie playfully rolled her eyes as she moved her lips to the side. "Okay. I'll let it go. So the barbecue is on Saturday afternoon and will last until whenever. Everyone should come around 4pm."

"Okay. Sounds good."

* * *

><p>Will had been in bed most of the day moping around. There were times he would start to cry because of what happened the night before. He decided to text Sonny to ask him to come over. When Sonny arrived and came into Will's room, Will sat up on his bed. "Thanks for coming over."<p>

Sonny leaned against the wall to give Will some space. It was clear that something was wrong. "No problem. Everything okay?"

Will avoided eye contact with Sonny because he did not want Sonny to know how bad he was feeling. "No. Things are not good. It's weird."

"What's weird?"

"That I called you here to talk about what's wrong. I barely know you and that makes you easier to talk to because you don't really know me."

"I know that you're a good guy." Sonny smiled hoping he could get a smile out of Will, but he had no such luck. Will whispered something, but Sonny did not hear what he said. "What did you say?"

"Can you keep a secret? You're the only one I can talk to about this because I think you already know." Will was still not looking at Sonny.

"Yeah. Your secret is safe with me." Sonny began to wonder what Will wanted to tell him. Sonny knew it had to be something big because of how Will looked. He looked so drained.

"I tried to have sex with Gabi. I went over there last night after we talked and I told her I was ready to have sex."

"What happened?"

"I couldn't go through with it. I freaked out on her. My dick wasn't working." Will began to cry again as he thought about how much he failed Gabi and himself. He felt so broken.

Sonny went over and sat on the bed to try to comfort him. He lightly patted Will's back and then put his hand back in his lap. "Why couldn't you go through with it?" Sonny asked after a moment of silence.

Will thought about all the emotions and feelings that he was trying to suppress during his attempt to sleep with Gabi. It was a lot to hold onto to give Gabi what she wanted. "To be honest, I have never felt comfortable with Gabi when we started dating. I feel like I was trying to be someone else… someone that everyone expected me to be… someone that was not me."

For the first time, Will made eye contact with Sonny. Sonny could see the fear and confusion in Will's eyes. He figured that Will talking to him about all of this was helping Will feel more comfortable, but a part of Sonny felt extremely nervous as to where this conversation was leading. Sonny knew what he hoped for, but knew not to get his hopes up. "Who do you want to be?"

Will looked away again after hearing Sonny's question. That question was so peculiar, yet appealing to him. He had never really asked himself that question. He kept asking himself the same question in his mind, and he struggled to find an answer to that question. He looked back to Sonny, and opened his mouth. "I… I don't know… I guess I…"

A knock on the door interrupted Will's answer. Will and Sonny immediately looked to the door. Sonny separated himself from Will by scooting away on the bed. When Will told the person to come in, Chad walked in with a smile. "I am shocked that your grandmother let me come upstairs. She usually tells me you're not here, but she seemed adamant that I come up here as soon as possible." Chad laughed at how bizarre Caroline was with him. He then noticed that the mood in the room was quite somber. Will was different. Will's eyes did not light up like they normally did when they saw each other. Chad searched Will's eyes and realized he had been crying. He quickly got serious. "Will, are you okay?"

As much as Will enjoyed seeing Chad's concern for him, he did not want Chad to know what was going on. He was too embarrassed to share with Chad that he felt like he was less than a man. "Oh," Will purposely sniffled. "My allergies are just acting up."

Chad looked over at Sonny, who was watching Will, and figured that he stepped into something and neither of them was going to tell him what it was. He went over to Will and bent down in front of him. "Are you sure that you're okay? You can…"

"Yeah. I'm fine. Sonny and I were just talking about his life outside of Salem." Will did not want Chad to ask him again.

Sonny began to feel uncomfortable when Will and Chad looked at him. Will looked at him to confirm the lie that he told Chad. Chad looked at him to confirm Will's story. "Hey. Maybe I should leave the two of you to talk alone." He looked to Will to reaffirm that his decision to leave would be good for them. "I think that's a good idea." Sonny got up, but Will grabbed his hand to stop him.

"Don't go. Please stay."

Chad watched as Sonny took a seat on the bed again. Chad promptly stood up and realized that Will was lying to him. Sonny had confirmed it for him. "Will, what is going on? What were you two talking about before I came in? Let me help you." Chad tried to make eye contact with Will again, but Will avoided it. Chad began to scratch his head. "Maybe I should leave?"

"No, Chad. Stay here," Sonny chimed in. "You don't have to go. We can all hang out."

Chad looked to Will for his answer. When Will finally made eye contact with him, he already knew what he was going to say. Will's voice trembled as he spoke, "Chad, I'm sorry, but… but can you go? We can hang out when I'm not such a mess… when I'm more fun."

"Sure." Even though Chad knew Will was going to ask him to leave, it still hurt like hell. He tried to be understanding, but a part of him was jealous that Sonny was Will's new go to friend. Chad began to wonder if he did something wrong, but figured it would be wrong to bring it up now. "I guess I'll see you around." Chad tried to smile before turning around to leave, but his lips would not conform.

After Chad left, Will became even more of a mess about everything. He began to feel guilty about kicking Chad out. "He can't know what happened. His view of me would change," Will said out loud to make him feel better about his decision. It did not work. Will began to cry again and leaned his body towards Sonny.

Sonny put his arm around Will and held him. "Everything is going to be alright, Will. I promise you." Sonny knew what Will was afraid to admit. He really wanted to help him. He pulled Will closer causing Will to rest his head on Sonny's chest. Sonny got a bit nervous as this was the closest he had been to a guy since he arrived in Salem. His heart began to beat faster.

Will found comfort in Sonny's arms and his tears began to stop. He had never cried so much in his life before. He always tried to hold it together. He began to feel the beating of his heart get faster and harder. He could feel it in his chest, arms, legs, and head. Will began to focus on the beating he felt in his head and slowly realized that the beating he was feeling was not from his own heart, but Sonny's. Will quickly removed himself from Sonny's grasp and avoided eye contact with Sonny again. "I think you should leave."

"Will, what happened? I don't think you should be alone right now." Sonny wondered why Will was shutting him out.

"I'm fine. I just need to be alone and sleep. I'll see you tomorrow or something."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Just go, please." Sonny left without another word. Will threw himself onto his bed. He looked at the ceiling and asked himself, "What is wrong with me?"


	11. Chapter 11 PreParty

**Chapter 11: Pre-Party – Saturday, July 2nd, 2011**

Sonny and Will were wiping down the tables at the pub. The two had hardly said a word to each other during their shift at the pub. Sonny watched Will and thought about what happened Wednesday night in Will's bedroom. He wanted Will to know that he was willing to talk about other things, so he decided to break the ice. "Living in the Kiriakis Mansion has its perks. It's huge, has a pool, and other great stuff." Will nodded his head to let Sonny know he was listening. "I like it, but I'm thinking about getting my own place."

Will stopped and turned to Sonny. "I know what you mean. I'm glad my great-grandma is letting me stay here, but I think it would be great to live on my own or at least with a roommate who isn't family." Sonny smiled. He was happy that he was getting Will to talk to him. Will noticed Sonny's smile and began to feel a bit awkward. "We should probably get back to work."

Sonny noticed that Will was shutting down on him again. "Will, I am sorry for the awkwardness the other night. I was just trying to let you know that I am there for you no matter what you're going through. You could tell me anything, and I would still be there."

Will thought about what Sonny had to say. "There's no need to apologize. I'm the one who made things awkward. I did not know what I was saying or doing. You must think I am weird or something."

"You shouldn't be sorry for being yourself. I'm telling you. There's nothing wrong about being true to yourself."

The conversation's perceived direction made Will feel even more uncomfortable. "Look, we should just get back to work. I really don't feel like talking."

"Okay." Sonny decided not to push. He was glad he was able to say to Will what he wanted to. He hoped that Will heard him and took his words to heart.

"Thanks." Will and Sonny got back to cleaning. Will watched Sonny and wondered if Sonny wanted Will to come out to him. He wondered if Sonny wanted him to be gay.

* * *

><p>Chad was pacing in the living room at the Dimera Mansion. He wondered what he should do about Will. Chad worried about him and wished that he had kept in better contact with Will after he found out he was Stefano's son. He finally took a seat, but his feet could not stop moving. Kate walked in and noticed that his feet were tapping like crazy. "Something on your mind?"<p>

"Huh?" Chad looked up at Kate realizing she had said something to him.

"You seem a bit distracted. Let me guess. You realized that Abigail is not the girl you thought she was?" Kate took a seat next to Chad and flipped her hair back.

"No. I'm not thinking about Abigail at all," Chad responded. Kate was happy to hear that. "I'm worried about a friend. I'm worried about Will."

Kate became concerned when she heard her grandson's name. "Will? Did something happen?" At this point, Sami was walking by and heard her son's name. Naturally, she decided to eavesdrop.

"I saw him the other night at the pub. He was a mess, and he was with Sonny. I could just tell that something had happened when I walked into his room. Sonny and Will were keeping a secret from me." Chad shook his head in frustration. "I just want to help Will, you know? I wish he and I were close again."

Listening to Chad explain what happened made Kate appreciate Chad more. "I am really touched by how much you care about Will. I am sure that he will realize that eventually and come to you when he is ready. Just don't give up on him." Kate thought about what Will and Sonny could be hiding. "I don't know much about Sonny now. He's grown since the last time I saw him. Is he trouble?"

Chad shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not sure, but he seems to always be around now." Chad thought about how Will and Sonny seemed like they were best friends now. Chad wondered if Sonny had replaced him as Will's best friend. Chad had never really told Will how important their friendship was to him, which Chad was now starting to regret.

* * *

><p>Nathan spotted Melanie at the nurse's station and headed over. "Hey, Melanie."<p>

"Nathan! How's your day going?"

"Good. Yours?" Nathan leaned on the counter towards Melanie.

"Great. Where are you off to now?"

"I'm actually taking my break. I thought I would stop by and see you before I took off." Melanie smiled and blushed a bit. "Listen, I was wondering about that party you're throwing at the beach tonight."

"Yeah… what about it?"

"Who is going to be there?" Nathan wondered if it was going to be a big thing.

"Nothing too big. Just Abigail, Chad, Gabi, Dario, Will, Sonny, and me. Hopefully you…" Melanie looked at Nathan to respond on whether he was going or not. Nathan noticed that Melanie mentioned Dario would be there and realized he was a bit jealous. Melanie asked him again, "Are you going?"

"Yeah. I think I'll make an appearance." Nathan smiled as he noticed that his answer seemed to make Melanie happy. Feeling a bit uncomfortable, Nathan decided that he should go before his break was over. "I'll see you tonight." Nathan walked off after lightly pounding the counter with his fist. He questioned what he wanted from Melanie because every time he saw her he wanted to be closer to her; he wanted to kiss her. Just being friends was too difficult for him.

While biting her finger, Melanie watched Nathan walk away. She could feel the pull towards him when they were together as well. Knowing that she told the girls that she would choose tonight, she thought to herself, "I don't know if I can do this."

* * *

><p>Gabi was going through a bag of swimsuits she had just bought. "I don't know which one I should go with tonight." She held one up to her body and turned to her brother. "What do you think about this one?"<p>

Dario, who was sitting on the couch, gave her crazy look. "Why are you asking me? You know that I am going to say no to every one of those. They show too much skin."

Gabi rolled her eyes and started going through the bag again. "Well, I am not trying to please you. I am trying to please Will, my boyfriend."

Dario got a little suspicious of Gabi and raised an eyebrow. "Just what exactly do you have planned for Will? How are you planning on pleasing him?"

Gabi dropped the bathing suits on the couch and turned towards her brother. "Wait. Weren't you just saying that you didn't want to know the details of my relationship with Will? Remember how that whole conversation got you in trouble with Adrienne and Sonny? ¿Te acuerdas?"

"Yes, I remember. You don't have to remind me. I just don't want you to rush into something you might regret later." Dario thought that Will was a good guy, but did not like that his sister was ready to sleep with him.

"I know what I am doing." Gabi turned back to the bathing suits and picked up a green one. "There's no way that Will is going to say no to me tonight. I'm going to make sure that I take care of him tonight to show him how much I love him."

Dario shook his head as he stood up from the couch. "All I know is if he hurts you, Will es un hombre muerto."

Gabi rolled her eyes at Dario's threat of Will being a dead man if he should hurt her. "Will is a good guy. He would never hurt me." Dario excused himself to his room. Gabi decided to go with the green bathing suit. She really hoped she could make Will feel better tonight.

* * *

><p>Abigail arrived at the Dimera Mansion and rang the doorbell. She wanted to talk to him face to face about tonight. She hoped he would make the right decision about where he wanted to be. Chad answered the door. "Good. We need to talk."<p>

"Okay. Hello to you, too. Come inside." Chad motioned for Abigail to come in, but she did not budge. "…or not."

"This won't take that long. I'm here to tell you not to go to your sister's barbecue tonight. You should come to my beach party instead."

Chad let out a sigh of frustration. "I already told you that I am going to my sister's barbecue. It's a family get together for the fourth of July, and I want to be there. After I finish there, I am coming to your party. It's a win-win."

Abigail was not pleased to hear Chad's decision. "Can't you see what's going on here?" Abigail gave him an unsympathetic look. "You are making a huge mistake by choosing to be a Dimera and going to a Dimera party. They are only going to turn your life upside down and make you some evil twisted soldier."

Chad was even more annoyed with Abigail. "This is my sister's party. Mayor Carver will be there as well. My sister is not trying to turn me evil as she is not evil herself. What the hell is wrong with you?"

"What's wrong? Your dad and brother will be there. Aren't they evil? They are going to talk you into becoming something I know you are not. Stop making stupid decisions!" Abigail was not letting this go until he decided not to go to Lexie's barbecue.

Chad had enough of Abigail's attacks. "Abigail, I know that you're trying to help, but you're only upsetting me. You remind me of the guy I thought was my dad when I was growing up. I could never do anything right in his eyes. I was always getting into trouble with him, and he always looked down on me for trying to be my own man. When are you going to realize that you're not making things better and treating me like a child when you attack me and my family this way? I finally have a family where I feel I belong. I am one of them. It's who I am. I never fit in with my mother and the guy she married. I fit in here with Stefano, EJ, and Lexie. Stop trying to take that away from me!"

Abigail stood back in silence for a moment after Chad went off on her. She lost her stern look, but it came back after she collected her thoughts. "Chad, go to your sister's party, but if you don't show up to mine tonight, we're through!" Abigail walked off leaving Chad at the door.

* * *

><p>Caroline came out from the back and spotted Will and Sonny working. She went over to talk to them. "Boys, you can go ahead and clock out. I think I have everything covered. It's been a slow day, so I might just close early."<p>

'Will looked at his grandmother. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. Don't you have a party tonight anyway?" Sonny and Will shook their heads. "Gabi will be there, right?"

"Yeah. She is really excited about it." Will smiled at his grandmother.

"Well, that's good. You make sure you treat her good tonight." Caroline winked at Will and then left.

"That was cool of Mrs. Brady to let us out a little early." Sonny finished what he was doing and then turned to Will. "Do you think that I could get ready here? I brought my beach stuff in my backpack just in case we were running late."

"Sure." Will answered before thinking. He usually gave people what they wanted. Will started thinking about his relationship with Sonny. He wondered if he was getting too attached to someone he barely knew anything about. Will realized that Sonny may be the reason he was feeling weird about himself all the time. "Wait. Maybe it's not a good idea."

Will's quick decision change confused Sonny. "What do you mean?"

"You don't think we spend too much time together? I mean, we just met, but it seems like we're always around each other. We work together, share family, have the same friends, run into each other… it's a bit much." Will realized that he made things even more awkward as it sounded like he was implying that he found Sonny rather annoying.

Sonny was hurt, but wanted to respect Will's decision. "Yeah, I guess… "

Stefano walked in and spotted the two boys. Completely ignoring Sonny, Stefano greeted Will, "William, it's good to see you."

"Stefano, I think we're closing early today." Will was not sure what Stefano was doing there. "Did you need something?"

"Yes. I am here to pick up a dessert for Alexandra's dinner party. It's sugar free, so I will be able to partake." Stefano joked. Sonny told Stefano he would grab it for him and left. Stefano was glad to have a few moments alone with Will. "Have you given any thought to my internship offer?"

Will remembered the offer. He thought about how it would be good experience for him that could help him with future jobs. He then thought it might help him create some space between him and Sonny since he would no longer work at the pub. "Yeah, I've thought about it and I would gladly accept an internship at Dimera Enterprises." Sonny walked in and heard Will accept the offer. "When would I start?"

Will's acceptance delighted Stefano. "As soon as you want." Sonny brought the boxed dessert over to Stefano.

Will glanced at Sonny and then back to Stefano. "I'll start on Monday." Stefano shook Will's hand and left.

Knowing that Will would no longer work at the Brady Pub disappointed Sonny. He questioned if he had anything to do with Will's decision. "I guess I'll head out so I make it to the party on time." Sonny did not bother to look at Will and walked out with his things. Will wondered if he was doing the right thing.


	12. Chapter 12 Psycho Beach Party

**Chapter 12: Psycho Beach Party – Saturday, July 2nd, 2011**

At the beach, everyone except for Chad had arrived for Abigail's mini beach party. There was music, fourth of July decorations, drinks, and snacks. Nathan walked over to get a drink from the cooler where Abigail was talking to Dario, Gabi, and Sonny. "Everything looks great, Abigail."

"Thanks! Gabi and Melanie helped me plan and set this up." Abigail opened up a water bottle and took a drink. She hoped that Chad would show up. Nathan pulled out a soda and opened it.

Gabi grabbed a few drinks and brought them over to Melanie and Will, who were standing by the snacks and cookies. "Thanks, Gabi. Will was just saying that he has a big announcement." Abigail and Nathan headed over interested in what the announcement was.

"Big announcement? What could that be?" Gabi put her hand on Will's arm. She motioned Dario and Sonny to come over to hear as well, but Sonny told Dario he already knew. Dario remained with Sonny by the drinks.

"I got an internship at Dimera Enterprises. I start Monday." Will forced a smile hoping that the others could not tell that he was rather disappointed with his life at the moment. He really hoped the internship would turn things around for him.

The reactions of the others were rather mixed. Nathan and Melanie congratulated Will on the internship, but Gabi and Abigail were not too thrilled to hear that Will was working with Stefano Dimera. "Are you sure that's a good idea? I mean, doesn't most of your family hate the Dimeras?" Gabi decided not to harp on the fact on how much she hated the Dimeras because she blamed them for her brother ending up in prison.

"I'm not doing anything illegal."

"Yeah, that's what they tell you until they pull you into one of their latest schemes." Abigail thought about how it was happening to Chad now.

While the others were talking about Will's announcement, Sonny and Dario decided to hit the volley ball back and forth to each other. "So you knew about Will's new job?"

"Yeah. I saw him accept the job at his family's pub." Sonny kept his concentration on keeping the ball in the air. "He was working with me there, but I guess today was his last day." Dario hit the ball back to Sonny and Sonny returned it to him. He did not want to talk about Will anymore. "So how do you like working with my mom? She's still not mad at you about what you said is she?"

"No. Your mom is great. I am so glad that she's very forgiving. You're very lucky to have your parents." Dario thought about how his life was different from Sonny's life. Dario never actually knew his father and was raised by his mother and older siblings. "So do you play any other sports?"

"Yeah. I love most sports, but my favorites are probably soccer and swimming."

"Oh. Those sports are very important to my family."

"How so?"

"Well, my family played soccer a lot growing up, and, well swimming is how my family came over to the United States." Dario hit the ball back to Sonny.

"What?" Sonny was so distracted with what Dario said that he lost his concentration on the ball. The ball to hit him in the head. "Really?" Sonny grabbed his head where the ball hit him, while Dario started to laugh.

"Caught you off guard, didn't I? That was a lie." Sonny laughed at how gullible he just sounded. He picked the ball up and threw it hard at Dario. Dario caught it and held it to his side. "We should kick the ball around."

"Sure." Sonny motioned for Dario to kick the ball to him. "So do you workout at a gym?"

"Yeah. I try to go to Salem Gym when I have time. You?" Dario kicked the ball to Sonny.

"Not yet. I am looking for a workout buddy. Do you need one?" Sonny kicked the ball hoping that Dario would agree.

"Actually, I do. It will make me feel better about lifting weights. We should go tomorrow or something."

Sonny was happy that Dario agreed. "Sounds like a plan."

While Sonny and Dario continued to kick the ball around, Nathan and Melanie separated from the conversation about how Will's internship was going to turn him evil. They began to talk about old times like when they first met. "Do you remember hanging out at the Horton Cabin?"

"Yeah. We made a lot of memories there. Does your family still go out there?"

"I haven't been out there, but I am sure that the family is still using it. Remember when we played strip poker with Brady and Arianna." Nathan remembered that Arianna and Melanie duped him and Brady causing him to laugh.

"We were some crazy kids back in the day," Melanie joked. "We should plan something up there sometime. I miss those times." Nathan smiled and agreed.

As Nathan and Melanie were reminiscing about old times, Gabi realized that Will was getting a bit stressed again since she and Abigail were trying to talk him out of his internship. She decided that she should change her tune. "Actually, now that I think about it, I think it's good that you'll be working for Stefano Dimera." Gabi's statement shocked Will and Abigail. "I mean, Abigail think about it. Will is a good guy. There's no way that Stefano is going to change Will."

Will smiled. "Thanks, Gabi." The stress he was feeling seemed to go down a bit.

"Also, Will can keep Chad in check for you. With Will on the inside, he can make sure that Chad does not go full-out Dimera on you." Will went with Gabi's idea as they both turned to Abigail for her response.

"Maybe you are right, Gabi. Will you keep Chad in check for me? I mean, if he even comes tonight." Abigail looked at her phone and saw that she did not have any messages from Chad.

"I'm sure he'll show up." Gabi took Will's arm. "Will, can we go somewhere private to talk?" Will nervously agreed and both headed towards an old abandoned lifeguard station. Abigail contemplated texting Chad.

* * *

><p>Stefano was the last family member at the Dimera Mansion and was trying to finish some loose ends on a business deal over the phone. "Listen, Marco. Just get it done. I am running late, so I will call you back when I return home. It better be done by then." Stefano hung up the phone and headed towards the front door. When he opened it, he was surprised to see Caroline on the other side. She was about to ring the doorbell. "Caroline Brady. What do I owe the honor?"<p>

Caroline walked into the mansion without an invite causing Stefano to roll his eyes. "You have no honor. I came here to talk to you about my great-grandson, Will."

"Ah. William. What about him? Is he okay?"

"Well, that depends on what you're up to. He informed me that he would no longer be working at the pub because he got an internship from you. Now if I remember correctly, when Lucas came to work for your family he almost got him and Sami killed. I don't want to see their son put in the same kind of danger."

"You do not have to worry about William. He will not be put in any kind of danger. I will make sure of it." Stefano hoped that Caroline would be reassured and leave so he could head to his daughter's barbecue.

"Well, then what are your plans for Will? What game are you playing here?" Caroline was not ready to let this one go even though she could tell Stefano was in a hurry.

"I'm not playing any games. Caroline, I am telling you straight out. I do not have any ulterior motives with your grandson. Period." Stefano went over the door and motioned for her to leave. "Now, if you'll excuse me I have a family event to attend."

Caroline walked out, but turned to face Stefano once more. "I am keeping an eye on you, Stefano. You better believe it!"

* * *

><p>At the Carver House, Abe was busy barbecuing, while the other adults sat around the table enjoying each other's company. Lexie walked from inside of her house with some plates. "The kids are enjoying a movie." Lexie took a seat next to EJ.<p>

"Where is your father? You'd think he would be here by now." Sami looked at EJ and Lexie.

EJ looked at his watch. "Well, he should have come straight from the Brady Pub, but I think he mentioned making a few phone calls back at the mansion."

"That's typical father for you." Lexie smiled. "He has to show up late to make a grand entrance." Kate's phone began to ring. She looked at it and excused herself to take the call in private.

"I wonder if that was him.," Chad said as he watched Kate go inside the house.

"You know Chad, you won't hurt my feelings if you decide to go to Abigail's beach party. I had no idea that she was having one until Jennifer told me about it at the hospital earlier."

Chad contemplated leaving for Abigail's party, but knew he would regret not staying for a bit longer to spend time with his family. "I don't know. I feel like I should be here."

Lexie understood what Chad was going through and figured he would probably feel guilty if he left now. "Well, no matter what you decide we will remain your family." Lexie gave him a look to encourage him to go.

Having heard their conversation, Stefano walked up and decided to add his two cents on the matter. "I think you should stay here with your family." Stefano took a seat next to Chad.

Chad watched Stefano give him a smug look. "I'll stay for food, but I'll probably head out after that." Before their father could chime in, Lexie told Chad she thought that was a good idea.

Kate walked back outside and took a seat. "That was Lucas. He needed to ask me about reservations and such."

Sami's interest was perked. "Did he say how Allie was?"

"She's fine, but she really misses everyone here. Lucas is thinking about bringing her to Salem for a visit." Sami was pleased to hear that. She missed her daughter.

Abe brought over some burgers, hotdogs, and steaks. "Food's ready."

* * *

><p>Back at the beach, Will and Gabi were hanging out in the abandoned lifeguard station. Gabi had decorated the small place and had a few candles lit to set the mood for her and Will. Will wanted to thank her in a way he hoped she would enjoy and began to kiss her. Will believed that this is what he was supposed to do, so they continued to make out for a while. After their lips parted, Gabi smiled that Will seemed more relaxed with her. "Thanks for doing all this for me. I know that I definitely don't deserve it after what happened the other night." Will looked down in shame.<p>

"Will, it's okay. I know why you freaked out."

Will got worried. "You do?"

"Yeah. You wanted it to be romantic for me. I don't need the romance. I just need you." Gabi gave Will another kiss.

Will was relieved. "Yeah. I shouldn't have rushed things like that. This is great though." Will was in great denial and did not want to break free from it. He did not want to cry anymore or think about his attraction for Chad or Sonny. He wanted to focus on Gabi and what she wanted.

Gabi went behind him and started giving him a massage. It felt pretty good. "Does this help?"

Will shook his head. "That feels really good. It's really helping me relax." Gabi continued and made Will rest his back against her. She began to rub his chest, which made Will feel a bit awkward, but he decided to go with it.

"Will, I just want to make you feel good." Gabi felt really close to Will and even though she had decided previously that she would take things slow, she could not help herself. Will was an attractive guy and she considered herself lucky to find a guy that attractive inside and out.

Gabi lowered her hand and began to rub his abs. She began to outline his six-pack with her fingers. Will closed his eyes as Gabi began to kiss him from behind. Will really wanted to please Gabi to prove that his earlier confusion was just a phase. Gabi slowly put her hand in Will's swim shorts. "Is this okay?"

"Yeah. If that's what you want." Will said avoiding any thoughts about what was going on and how he really felt about it. Gabi's hand began to explore inside Will's shorts, but what should have been a heated moment soon became really awkward for the both of them as there was no response to what Gabi was doing. Will removed Gabi's hand from his shorts and stood up. He quickly stated, "I think I am going to go take a swim."

After Will walked off towards the water, Gabi began to feel really dirty and gross. "What the hell Gabi," she said to herself. "What happened to taking things slow? Now he'll never want to be with you."

The sun had set and the stars were out as the party continued on the beach. Sonny was now talking to Nathan about his future plans. "I've always been interested in being a doctor, except for when I was really young when I wanted to be an igloo architect." Sonny smiled.

Nathan gave Sonny a weird look and then realized that Sonny was only joking. "Ha. I think I was raised to be a doctor to follow in my great-grandfather's footsteps. I love it though."

"That's good. I think I will love it as well. I've always been someone who enjoys helping others. Unfortunately, I forget to take care of myself sometimes." Sonny noticed that Nathan was not really paying attention to him. Nathan's eyes were focused on something behind Sonny. Sonny looked back and noticed that Nathan was watching Melanie, who was talking to Abigail and Dario. He decided to test whether Nathan was hearing him at all. "So I definitely had to watch a man bleed to death today." No response. "I don't know if you knew this, but I have two brothers who are twins. One of them, Joey, told me that he's thinking about getting a sex change."

"That's cool."

Nathan had responded, but he still had no idea what Sonny had just said. Sonny lightly pushed him to get his full attention. Once Nathan looked at him, "Are you even listening to me? You know Melanie is not going anywhere, right?"

Nathan realized that it was obvious that he could not keep his eyes off of her. "I know. I was just making sure that she was keeping hydrated." Nathan tried to play it off, but Sonny let out a small chuckle while shaking his head. Sonny continued to give Nathan a hard time.

Melanie took a sip out of her water bottle, when Abigail got a text. After reading the text, she got excited. "Chad's here! Be right back!" Abigail left Dario and Melanie standing there.

After a few short but awkward moments, Dario decided he was not going to hold back anymore. "Melanie, I think you know what you mean to me. I'm tired of the games and the 'read between the lines' dialogue. I want to be with you."

Melanie was a bit surprised by Dario's forwardness. She gave a quick undetected glance to Nathan. "I hate to say this, but I really need to think about it. I do like you, but there's some things I need to think through." Melanie was really starting to feel the pressure.

Abigail found Chad heading towards her from the parking lot. She ran over and gave him a hug and kiss. "I'm so glad that you made it."

Chad smiled. "I tried to get out of there sooner, but my dad was insistent that I stay for dessert. It was a good time though." Chad took Abigail's hand and headed over towards the others. "Looks like everyone is having fun. Where are Will and Gabi?"

"Gabi set up a private date for her and Will at the lifeguard station. Who knows what their doing… either making love or having a huge fight." Abigail moved closer to Chad as they finally made their way to the cooler. "You want water or soda?"

All of a sudden, everyone heard a scream. Abigail and Chad looked towards the water and saw Gabi running towards them. Gabi was somewhat out of breath as she yelled, "It's Will! He went for a swim, and I can't see him anymore! I think he's drowning!"

Chad quickly took off his shirt as the other guys asked Gabi where Will was swimming. Gabi pointed in the direction where she last saw Will. Sonny, Chad, and Nathan made their way into the water to look for Will, while Dario tried to comfort his sister and reassure her that the guys would find Will. Melanie and Abigail tried to reassure her as well, but were really fearful as it was dark.

Nathan, Sonny, and Chad searched the water for what seemed like eternity. Chad finally found Will after a minute. "I found him!" Chad pulled Will up, while Sonny and Nathan rushed over to give him a hand. They brought him on to the beach and laid him down.

Sonny checked Will and realized that he was not breathing. "Chad, you know CPR?" Chad shook his head. "You do mouth-to-mouth, and I will press on his chest." Chad and Sonny began to do CPR on Will as the others watched in horror.

Gabi, who had already started crying, began to encourage Will to come back to them. "Come on, Will. Come back to us! We all love you!"

Chad was talking to Will between his breathing into Will's mouth. "Come on buddy!" As Chad was moving closer to Will's mouth, Will began to cough out some water. Chad remained close as he encouraged Will to let him know that everything was okay. Unexpectedly, Will grabbed Chad's head and pulled him into a kiss. As soon as Chad and Will realized what was going on, they pushed off of each other. Chad grabbed his lips in shock as he looked at Will questioning what just happened. Will looked at Chad in fear realizing he had unintentionally given into his desires.


	13. Chapter 13 Accident?

**Chapter 13: Accident? – Saturday, July 2nd, 2011**

Everyone stood on the beach in shock with what they had just witnessed. Dario looked at Chad and Will in disgust. "Did you guys just kiss?"

Will began to cough some more attempting to put the attention back on the fact that he almost drowned. Nathan and Melanie gently pushed Sonny and Chad out-of-the-way to make sure he was okay. Chad stood back unsure of how to respond to Dario's question. "Do we have a towel or something for Will?" Sonny grabbed a towel and handed it to Nathan. They wrapped Will as he was now shaking.

Sonny walked over to Dario, Gabi, and Abigail. "Sometimes when a drowner recovers he or she might accidentally kiss the guy doing CPR. It happened to me a lot when I was a lifeguard." Sonny was trying to cover for Will so that the others would not figure out his secret. They seemed to buy it.

"I'm just glad he came back to us." Gabi let out another sigh of relief.

Abigail went over to Chad and grabbed his hand. "I'm so glad you found him, Chad. This would have been the worse party ever if you did not find him." Chad smiled and was relieved as well.

After Melanie and Nathan checked Will out and decided he was going to be okay, everyone stood around and watched Will as he got up and began to walk around. "Thanks guys for saving me. I don't know what happened to me out there." Will was breathing deeper because of what he had just been through. He realized he had taken breathing for granted.

"Well, I will officially call it. This party is over," Abigail announced.

"I hope you don't mind that I am not helping with putting things away. I think I should head home." Will rewrapped the towel around him.

"I'll go with you to make sure that you make it back okay." Gabi placed her hand on Will's back.

"How are you going to get home?" Will did not want to bother anyone else for the night.

Dario stepped up. "I'll follow you guys and take Gabi home." Dario turned to Melanie to see if she was going to go with them since Melanie rode with them to the party.

"I should stay and help Abigail put the stuff away. I can catch a ride with someone." Melanie looked to Abigail.

"I can give you a ride," Nathan said as he walked over to Dario and Melanie.

"Well, that settles it." Melanie patted Dario on the shoulder to say goodbye. Dario wanted Melanie to go with him, but he could not say anything since Gabi and Will were ready to go.

After Dario, Will, and Gabi left, Melanie, Chad, Nathan, and Abigail quickly grabbed everything and packed them in Abigail's and Nathan's cars. Abigail turned to Chad and put her hand on his chest. "So what are your plans for the rest of the night?"

Chad gave Abigail a kiss on the cheek. "I think I am going to head home. I am a bit exhausted."

Chad's decision to go home disappointed Abigail. "But we just got to hang out for a short time. It wasn't long enough."

"I know. I am just beat from everything that happened today. Call me later?"

"I guess." Abigail began to pout. Chad kissed her and left. Abigail was not going to play this game. She quickly went over to Nathan and Melanie to tell them she was going to follow Chad home.

* * *

><p>Back at the Brady Pub, Sami came to talk to her grandmother about Will after the Dimera BBQ at Lexie's house. The choices Sami had made in how to live her life frustrated Caroline. She believed Sami's decisions were selfish. "Sami, you need to stop thinking about what you want out of life, open your eyes, and realize that your kids need you. Your bad mistakes will rub off on them."<p>

"What do you mean? Is Will in trouble?" Sami hated that her grandmother did not respect her, though Sami expected it for shacking up with the Dimeras.

"Well, there are a few things that you are not aware of. One is the fact that Will accepted a job from Stefano and will be working at Dimera Enterprises." Caroline trembled at the thought of Will becoming a Dimera and betraying the family just like Sami. "Second, if Will is not careful he's going to lose Gabi and destroy his life."

The news that Will was going to work for Stefano surprised Sami. She wondered what would get him on board with the Dimeras like that. Before Caroline could continue with her list, Sami interjected, "Will can make his own decisions. I'm not worried." She did not want Caroline to know that she was actually concerned for her son.

"Well, you very well should be." Sami's calmness frustrated Caroline. She continued to tell Sami why she should worry.

Meanwhile, Gabi and Will arrived outside of the pub. Gabi decided to walk Will to the door to make sure he got in okay. "Well, you're home." She handed Will his car keys.

"Thanks for driving. I think I can make it to my room okay." Will gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Well, I could tell Dario to head home. Maybe I could stay for a bit." Gabi was hoping that Will would want to hang out a while longer.

Will wanted to be alone for the rest of the night, but was not sure how to tell Gabi no. He looked into the pub and noticed that Sami and Caroline were inside. He saw an opportunity. "It's probably not a good idea because it appears that I am about to be ambushed by my mother and great-grandmother." Will smiled. "I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Okay. Let me know if you need anything." Gabi hugged Will and walked away.

Will watched her leave and then turned to enter the pub. When the door closed behind him, Sami and Caroline looked to Will. Will realized that he had actually walked into an ambush. "What's going on?"

Caroline remained behind the bar and watched as Sami walked over to her son. "We need to talk about a few things." She gave Will a concerned look hoping that he would talk to her.

"About what?" Will noticed that his grandmother seemed concerned as well. "Did I do something wrong?" Will's mind began to wonder what his mom could want to talk to him about. He wondered what Sami and Caroline were talking about before he walked in. The way they looked at him was quite intense.

"How are you and Gabi? I saw you out there with her." Sami thought she would start with simple questions.

"Gabi? We are fine." Will did not really want to get into it. Sami's question caught him off guard because he was expecting more. "Is that the real question you wanted to ask me because the way you were looking at me made me think that something big happened."

Sami could tell that Will was frustrated. "Your great-grandmother told me that you accepted a job from Stefano." Sami placed her hand in her pocket and waited for Will's response.

Will gave Sami a puzzled look. "You want to talk to me about working for Stefano Dimera when you're living in the man's house? I really don't want to talk about this. I'm tired… it's late. Goodnight." Will rushed upstairs leaving Sami with Caroline.

* * *

><p>Chad arrived at the Dimera Mansion. As he made it to the door, he noticed that someone else drove into the driveway. He became annoyed when he recognized Abigail's car. He wondered why she had followed him home. Abigail walked up and met him at the front door. "Why are you here?"<p>

"Because I am not ready to say goodnight yet." Abigail stepped up and began to kiss Chad deeply. Chad was caught off guard but went with it. The kiss began to get hot and heavy and Chad was becoming quite aroused. Abigail realized she was close to having Chad where she wanted him. They continued to make out.

Chad realized that he was quite happy that Abigail decided to follow him home. Chad decided he would ask Abigail to come in after a few more minutes of making out. Abigail pushed Chad off cutting his plan short. "Wow."

"Okay. I think that's enough. I think you get the point." Abigail wiped her mouth off.

Chad became confused. "Point? What are you talking about?"

"On what you'll be missing out on if you choose your family over me." Abigail patted Chad on his chest. "There's a lot more where that came from. Goodnight." Abigail winked and walked off.

Chad grabbed his mouth and watched Abigail drive off. "What the hell?"

* * *

><p>Melanie and Nathan arrived outside of her apartment. "Thanks for walking me to my door, Nathan." Melanie anxiously smiled feeling even more confused about Nathan and Dario after the party.<p>

"Except for Will's emergency, I had a great time tonight." Nathan placed his hand on the door post and looked into Melanie's eyes.

"Me, too." Melanie began to feel that pull towards Nathan again. Apparently he felt the pull as well because their heads began to move closer to each other. "So great," Melanie quietly whispered before their lips met. Nathan pulled Melanie closer and pressed her body against his.

Just then, Gabi and Dario made their way to their door and witnessed Melanie and Nathan's making out session. Dario could not believe his eyes. Gabi quietly unlocked the door and ushered Dario into their apartment. She patted him on the back before quietly closing the door on Melanie and Nathan's kiss.

* * *

><p>Will jumped on his bed and pulled his pillow towards his face. He thought about what happened at the beach avoiding any thought about what occurred in the lifeguard station with Gabi. He shook his head and began to think about how he kissed Chad. He remembered coughing up water and hearing Chad's voice. He wanted Chad to know that he was going to be okay, but he subconsciously decided to let him know through a kiss. Will knew that it was an accident, but the more he thought about Chad's lips being on his, the more he realized that he enjoyed it.<p>

Will began to think that Sonny was right about him. Sonny had encouraged him to accept himself. Will needed to accept that he was gay and was attracted to Chad. Will's cell phone started ringing interrupting his thoughts. Will picked it up and saw that it was Chad. Will smiled and answered. "Chad! Thanks for saving my life!"

Chad laughed on the other end. "It's no problem. Glad I could be of service." Chad sat on his bed in his bedroom. "Are you busy? Gabi's not there is she?"

Will sat up in his bed. "No, she's not here. I am free to talk. Is Abigail there with you?"

"Nah. I'm in my room all alone. God, she's such a tease!" Chad let out a sigh. "You're not going to believe what she did."

"What did she do?"

"She followed me here and started making out with me. She pushed me off when I was really into it and basically told me that if I did not make her happy, she would not make me happy." Chad laughed about it. "Such a tease… kissing me like that." Will and Chad laughed.

"That sounds horrible."

"You would know. Maybe it runs in the family with the way you kissed me tonight. You're such a tease as well." Chad began to laugh, but Will became embarrassed that Chad would bring up the kiss.

"Yeah… sorry about that. I don't know what I was thinking. It just happened." Will hit his head and hoped that Chad would not pick up on his embarrassment.

"It's alright, man. Like Sonny said, it happens." Chad decided to let the topic go as Will did not seem comfortable talking about it. "So, it's getting late and I should go to bed, but before I do I wanted to tell you that I miss hanging out with you. We should hang out soon. We don't do it enough."

Will smiled. "Yeah. I think we'll be seeing more of each other since I will be joining you at the gym and work."

Chad became intrigued. "Work?"

"Yeah. Your dad offered me an internship at Dimera Enterprises, and I accepted today. We will be co-workers… or you might be my boss."

Will's announcement excited Chad. "That's awesome, man. Can't wait! I'll make sure I give you the easy tasks." Chad looked at his clock. "Well, we should probably let each other go."

"Yeah." Will did not want to say goodnight just yet, but knew that he had to. "Goodnight, Chad."

"Goodnight, Will. I'm glad you're alive." Chad and Will both let out a small soft laugh before hanging up. Will laid down on his bed again and realized that his heart was beating fast. Will fearfully smiled as he realized it beat faster for Chad.


	14. Chapter 14 The Gay Agenda

**Chapter 14: The Gay Agenda – Sunday, July 3rd, 2011**

The next day, Dario and Sonny decided to start their Sunday morning early at the gym. They were on the exercise bikes talking about the difficulties of adjusting to Salem life. "It was hard when I first came to Salem because the only person I knew was my sister Gabi. After the cops arrested Rafe, I came to Salem because Gabi needed me. It was like everyone was watching me to see if I would turn out just like him. I did not get along with anyone."

"I guess things changed because you seem close to Melanie now?" Sonny took a sip from a water bottle.

"I guess." Dario did not want to talk about Melanie because he was still upset about what he saw the night before.

Sonny noticed that Dario got irritated when he mentioned Melanie. "Did something happen last night when I wasn't watching?"

"It's nothing. I saw Nathan and Melanie kissing outside of her place last night." Dario tried to blow it off like it was nothing, but Sonny knew better.

"Melanie is one lucky girl." Sonny smiled.

"How do you figure?" Dario gave Sonny a weird look.

"She has two hot guys going after her. I mean, you and Nathan are up there in the looks department." Sonny hoped that Dario did not mind him saying that.

Dario was not sure how to respond. "Thanks, I guess. It seems like she's made her decision though."

"Oh, I don't know. She might be playing the field a bit." Sonny winked at Dario. "You know, if I was Melanie you would definitely win."

Dario smiled. "Thanks man." He shook his head and uncomfortably laughed off Sonny's flirtation.

* * *

><p>EJ and Chad were playing chess at the Dimera Mansion. EJ moved a piece and laughed at how focused Chad seemed. "You know you can breathe, right?"<p>

Chad snapped out of it. "Ha. Yeah. I just really want to win this time." Chad looked at the board trying to figure out his next move.

"So is Will going to the gym with us today?"

"Yeah. He said he was planning on it." Chad picked up a piece and moved it.

"Good deal." EJ studied the board and made his move.

Chad scoffed at how fast EJ could read the board. "So Will told me that he's working for dad. Do you know what exactly he's doing?"

"No, I do not. I am not privy to what Will's internship will consist of. Our father has actually kept me in the dark about that."

Chad looked up from the board. "Should that worry me?"

"No. I am sure father will just make Will the new delivery boy with a few perks." Chad made a move causing EJ to smile. He moved a piece. "Checkmate!"

* * *

><p>Gabi walked into the Brady Pub to tell Caroline that she was ready to come back to work. She had taken personal time after Rafe's sentencing. She took a seat at the bar and told Caroline she was ready to work again. Caroline was glad to have her back. "Thanks for letting me take that personal time. I just needed to get my stuff in order."<p>

"Oh, I understand, sweetie. I know that you must feel awkward around us because of what happened, but I still think of you as family." Caroline squeezed Gabi's hand.

"That really means a lot Mrs. Brady." Gabi smiled. "So did Will tell you he almost drowned last night?"

Caroline had not heard about it. "No, he did not tell me. That explains why he was so short-tempered with his mother and me last night when he walked in."

"Yeah, it was crazy, but thankfully Sonny and Chad saved him. They did CPR." Gabi looked at the stairs wondering when Will was going to come down.

Caroline was relieved that Will survived, but wondered if Sonny tried anything with Will when he was doing CPR. Caroline decided to turn the subject to Gabi and Will's relationship. She hoped that it was going well. "So how are you and Will doing?"

Gabi did not know how to respond because she did not want to get too personal with Will's great-grandmother. "We are good. He's a really sweet guy!" Saying it made Gabi really want to believe it.

"Well, I hope he is treating you right and being a true gentleman." Caroline began to wipe the bar with a rag.

"Yeah. Of course. Will is always the perfect gentleman." Gabi thought that Will was too much of a gentleman sometimes. She did not understand why he felt uncomfortable sleeping with her.

Caroline stopped wiping the bar and noticed that Gabi seemed down. "Have you two had sex?" As soon as Caroline spit the question out, she began to wipe the bar again. Gabi immediately felt extremely uneasy about answering that question, which Caroline picked up on. Caroline smiled and responded in a playful way, "I am just wondering if I should expect any great-great-grandchildren. Is that so wrong?"

Gabi let out a small nervous laugh. "I… I guess not." Gabi looked down to avoid making eye contact when she answered Caroline's question. "We have not and are not sleeping together."

"Have you two talked about it? It's important that you and Will are on the same page on everything." Caroline knew these questions were making Gabi uncomfortable, but she needed to know for Will's sake.

"We have talked about it and have even come close." Gabi tried to look at Caroline but it was too much. "I think he wants to wait."

"It seems that Will is taking being a perfect gentleman too far. Do you want to wait?" Caroline's question made Gabi wonder why Caroline was asking all these questions. Thankfully, Will made his way down the stairs before she had to answer.

When Will saw Gabi and his great-grandmother talking, he got somewhat nervous. "Morning. Gabi, what are you doing here?"

"Will, that's no way to greet your very beautiful girlfriend. You don't want to lose her, do you?" Caroline walked over to another table to check in with her customers to leave the two alone.

Will apologized to Gabi. "I did not mean to come off as being rude. It's just that I was surprised to see you here."

"It's okay. I came over to tell your great-grandmother that I am ready to come back to work, and I thought I might run into you as well. I wanted to make sure you were still okay." Gabi got off the bar stool to give Will a hug.

As they were hugging, Will spotted his grandmother, Kate, walking in. After releasing from the hug, Will looked back to Gabi. "I wish you had called me to let me know you were coming. I already made plans to eat breakfast with my grandmother."

Gabi turned around and saw Kate. "Oh. Well, maybe we can get together later today… if that's okay."

Will smiled embracing denial again. "Sure. I'll give you a call." Will looked over as Kate walked over to them with a cup of coffee. "Hey grandma."

"Good morning, Will." Kate turned to Gabi giving her a smile. "Gabi." She turned back to Will. "Do we have a table?"

"Not yet." Will looked around and spotted one. He turned back to Gabi to say goodbye. After Gabi left, Will and Kate took a seat at the table.

Kate picked up a menu to decide what she was going to order. "I'm glad we could meet up this morning." Will smiled and nodded.

Caroline came over with orange juice for Will. She pulled out her pad to take their order. Will ordered his usual and Kate asked for scrambled eggs with a whole wheat bagel and fat-free cream cheese. Caroline jotted their order down and told them she would have it right out.

After Caroline was gone, Kate decided to tell Will why she asked to meet with him. "So, I was hoping to catch up with you. I feel like we haven't talked in a while." Will smiled and agreed. "So what's new with you?

"Well, I don't know if Stefano told you this, but I am starting my internship with Dimera Enterprises tomorrow." Will took a sip of his orange juice.

"He did mention it to me, and I am rather excited about it." Kate smiled as she watched Will wondering if he was okay.

Will noticed his grandmother's attempt to read him. "What?"

Kate decided she might as well ask. "Will, I am concerned about you. Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Everything is fine. Why do you ask?" Part of Will did not really want to know the answer to his question, but the other part did so that he could hide it better.

"Will, I can tell when you're not happy, and right now is one of those times." Kate sighed. "How are you and Gabi?" Will did not respond knowing that if he said anything, Kate would be able to tell he was lying. "I ask because I noticed that when I arrived, you seemed relieved that I was here so you could get away from her. Am I wrong?"

Will looked down at the table. "Gabi and I are fine. We're just like every couple. We have our ups and downs."

Kate put her coffee cup down. "Will, you can stop trying to impress me. Please be honest with me. What's going on with you? Are you depressed about something?"

Will sighed and figured he had to give Kate something somewhat true so that she would be satisfied. "I guess I am just worried about the uncertainty of my future. I mean, I am attending Salem U in the fall, but I am still not sure what I am going to major in. Everything seems more complicated and confusing now that I am out of high school."

Kate could see truth in Will's answer. "Well, that is normal. At your age, it's normal for people to wonder who they are and who they are meant to become. It's all a part of your life's journey." Kate adjusted her bracelets. "Now don't you feel better now that you got that off your chest?"

Will forced a smile. "Yeah."

Kate leaned in, "If you need anything Will, I am here for you. I hope you do know that."

"I do."Will answered as Caroline brought their food to the table. When she left, they began to eat.

* * *

><p>Nathan and Abigail were enjoying coffee at the Horton House. "So your party last night was a lot of fun. It had suspense and danger," Nathan joked.<p>

Abigail playfully rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah, the party was fun, but it was not a success."

"What do you mean?" Nathan joined Abigail on the couch.

"I was hoping to spend more time with Chad. I'm not saying it's Will's fault for almost drowning, but that kind of ruined the mood for the party to continue." Abigail put her cup on a coaster.

"I thought that you followed Chad home after the party? Did you guys hang out much after that?"

Abigail thought back to the night before when she kissed and left Chad at the Dimera Mansion. "I did follow him, but only to give him a proper good night. It's fun playing hard to get sometimes."

Nathan shook his head at Abigail. "Right. You know there are some guys who don't like it when girls play hard to get. Sometimes it's better when girls are just straight forward with how they feel."

There was a knock on the door. Abigail made her way to the door and let Melanie in. "Melanie! What a surprise! What are you doing here so early?"

Melanie and Abigail made their way to the living room. As soon as Nathan saw that it was Melanie, he stood up to greet her. Melanie nodded her head at Nathan and turned back to Abigail. "I was hoping to talk to Nathan… alone."

"Okay. I'll retouch my makeup." Abigail quickly made her way up the stairs.

Nathan slowly made his way to Melanie and could not help smiling as he thought about their kiss the night before. "So you wanted to talk to me, huh? Couldn't stay away?"

"I can't…" Melanie started. "I can't do this, Nathan. I came to tell you that the kiss last night was a mistake. It should not have happened." Melanie looked to Nathan trying to read his response.

"I don't think it was a mistake. It was inevitable with what we've been through." Nathan went to put his arms around Melanie, but she pushed him off. "What's going on here?"

"Nathan, I need to know if it's possible for us to be strictly friends." Melanie made sure that she kept Nathan at a distance so that she could stay in control during their conversation.

Nathan stepped closer to Melanie. "I don't think so. I love you and I always will. There's nothing I can do to change that." Nathan looked deep into Melanie's eyes. "I know that you feel the same way, too."

Melanie looked away to avoid eye contact. "Yes, I still do have feelings for you, but like I said, we cannot happen. Before you came back I was connecting with someone else, and it would not be fair to him if I pretended that it never happened." Melanie quickly glanced at Nathan hoping he would accept her explanation. "I'm being straight with you, Nathan. I want to avoid what happened between us when I was with Philip. Is it possible for us to just be friends?"

Nathan could not believe what Melanie was saying to him. She was breaking his heart all over again. "No. We can't. I'm sorry, but I'll always want more." Nathan turned his back to Melanie.

"Really?" Melanie was hoping that they could find a way to still be in each other's lives. "I thought…"

Nathan interrupted, "I guess I'll just make it simple for us. We shouldn't hang out anymore or try because we will always end up in the same place." Crushed Nathan headed to the door. "It would be best if you just left."

"I'm so sorry." Melanie walked out, and Nathan closed the door.

"Me, too."

* * *

><p>Chad decided to spend some time in the park to think before heading off with EJ and Will to the gym. As he walked around, he ran into Will, who was sitting on a bench. "Hey, bud." Chad took a seat next to Will. "What are you doing out here?"<p>

"Just came out here to think for a moment. It can be really peaceful here sometimes." Will looked out towards the trees.

Chad agreed. "That's exactly why I came out here. Still planning on going to the gym with EJ and me?"

"Of course. Wouldn't miss it." Will turned to Chad and smiled.

Chad got serious, moved closer to Will, and placed his hand on Will's shoulder. "Are you okay, man?"

Will looked away annoyed. "Why is everyone asking me that? Do I have a sign on my head that says, 'Will is not happy'?"

Chad backed off and removed his hand. "Not trying to annoy you. I was just wondering how a good swimmer like you ends up drowning like you did last night."

Will immediately felt ashamed as Chad had figured him out. "I… I guess I am not okay," Will admitted. Chad moved in closer again placing his hand on Will's shoulder. "I am going to be okay though. I just need to figure some things out, and I will be fine. You don't have to worry."

"I won't." Chad looked away, but kept his hand on Will's shoulder. Will became more aware of how Chad was touching him, but decided not to make anything of it. Chad wished that Will would be more open with him about things like he opened up to Sonny. "So tell me about your friendship with Sonny. You guys seem to hit it off."

Will adjusted himself and sat straight back. "He's really funny and nice…" Will smiled as he continued, "…sometimes he's too nice."

"It's probably because he's gay and he's into you," Chad admitted nonchalantly.

Will took it for a joke letting out an uneasy laugh. "Right. You're funny."

Chad was perplexed by Will's reaction. "Wait. You don't know." Will gave Chad a strange look. "Wow. Sonny is gay. I overheard him admit it to Abigail when he first moved into town."

Will did not know how to take the news of Sonny's sexual orientation. He tried thinking about his past experiences with Sonny and it made perfect sense, but part of him did not want to believe it. Chad picked up on Will's uneasiness to the news and wondered if Will would turn homophobic on him. Will removed himself from the bench. "Hey. I'll meet you and EJ at the gym."

Chad looked up at Will. "Um… okay."

As Will walked off, he wondered if Sonny had somehow triggered his questioning his sexuality. Will started to believe that Sonny was trying to turn him gay so that he could be with Will. Will could not believe that Sonny had fooled him.


	15. Chapter 15 Don't Sell Yourself

**Chapter 15: Don't Sell Yourself – Sunday, July 3rd, 2011**

Justin walked into the Brady Pub after a few lengthy meetings. He walked up to Caroline who was working the bar. After ordering a drink, he decided to check how Sonny faired as an employee at the Brady Pub. "So is my son getting the job done?"

Caroline forced a smile and decided to say as little as possible about Sonny. "Oh, he's a fine worker. Gets the job done." Caroline did not lie. Sonny was a good worker, but his sexual orientation still bothered her.

"Has he made any crazy requests? Asked for time off?" Justin joked. He figured he would make conversation as he waited on his drink.

"Oh, no. He gets the job done." Caroline continued to make Justin's drink.

Justin noted that Caroline had repeated the same thing. He wondered if she decided to keep her answers short on purpose. "Is everything okay? I feel like there's something you don't want to tell me."

Caroline tried to keep her thoughts to herself about Sonny, but Justin's questions made it hard for her. "No. There's nothing to say. Sonny is very friendly and really helps out. He gets the job done." Caroline gave Justin a fake smile. Unfortunately for her, she did not hold it long enough, so Justin noticed a frown on her face soon after her smile.

Justin realized that Caroline lied and realized that something about Sonny bothered her. Justin figured out what bothered her when he remembered that she dropped the plates when he and Adrienne were discussing Sonny's sexual orientation the other night. "Don't take this the wrong way, Caroline, but I am curious." Caroline gave him her full attention. "Do you have a problem with Sonny being gay?"

Caroline tried to hold in her thoughts, but slipped, "As long as he keeps it in his life and stays away from Will. No one wants to see that." Caroline handed Justin his drink and walked off. Justin wondered if Sonny knew how Caroline felt about him.

* * *

><p>Back at the Dimera Mansion, Stefano was on the phone with Marco. "I do not care! Just get it done!" Stefano turned and noticed Sami standing there waiting for him. Stefano decided he needed to get off the phone. "Marco, I will call you back. Something conniving just came up." Stefano hung up and placed his cell in his pocket. "Samantha, what can I do for you?"<p>

Sami casually walked over to the bar and poured herself a glass of water. "I am hoping that you have some time so we can talk business."

Intrigued, Stefano walked over to his chair and took a seat. He motioned for Sami to take a seat on the couch. "Business? What kind of business is there to talk about?"

Sami brought her glass of water with her and took a seat. After taking a sip and placing her glass on the table, she crossed her legs and responded, "I want to work for you. I want to be a part of the family business."

Stefano laughed at the idea of Sami working for him. "Now why would you want to do that, Samantha? I am a Dimera and you are a Brady. These things never work out."

Sami did not find Stefano's mocking tone amusing. She tossed her hair back and moved forward on the couch. "I love your son. I want to prove to EJ that I fully accept him and want to be in contact with every part of his life." Sami quickly raised her eyebrows to let him know that she was serious.

Stefano smiled and began to shake his finger at Sami. "That may be true, Samantha, but it is not the complete truth." Sami remained silent as Stefano watched her with a smile. "You also want to join the family business because you want to check in on William." Stefano tilted his head to Sami to let her know that he had her figured out. Sami tilted her head back to Stefano to let him know that she would not deny it. Stefano moved forward in his chair and clasped his hands. "So, I'm guessing that there are terms that you want me to agree on. What are your terms?"

"I only have one term or request really." Sami took a quick sip of water. "I handle my side of the family when things come up that involve the Bradys. I will not betray your trust, but I will handle them in my own way." Sami put her glass down awaiting Stefano's agreement to her request.

Stefano was surprisingly impressed by Sami's request. "You are a very smart woman, Samantha. You surprise me sometimes." Stefano laughed and stood up. "I agree to your request and I welcome you to the family business, but I do have one condition." Trying to hide how pleased she was, Sami lifted her head to signal Stefano to continue. "If a problem arises that concerns your family and you fail to take care of it, I will take matters into my own hands and there's nothing you can say or do about it."

Sami stood up and put out her hand. "I don't see that happening, but I say we shake on this." Stefano took her hand solidifying Sami's joining Dimera Enterprises.

* * *

><p>EJ, Chad, and Will made their way to the Salem Gym. After walking into the locker room, the guys began to stretch. "So, I think I am going to run on the treadmill for a while and then hit the sauna to relax," EJ announced.<p>

Chad and Will liked EJ's idea. "I've never been in the sauna. Is it nice?" Will felt a bit awkward about going to the gym with EJ, but figured he needed to get over it.

"Yeah. It's great. It's one of those humid air saunas. The saunas with the dry air do not compare," EJ shared.

Chad pointed at EJ. "Will, this is my brother, EJ. He's an expert on saunas and other random things." Chad and Will laughed.

Dario and Sonny walked into the locker room because they had finished for the day. Sonny immediately spotted Will, Chad, and EJ. Dario opened a locker with his stuff inside. "I feel so good after that workout. It's too bad that all this energy will be wasted at work after some lazy time back at my place." Dario noticed that Sonny had not grabbed his stuff out of the locker. "Are you staying or going?"

Sonny stopped staring at the other guys and turned back to Dario. "I think I am going to stay. There are a few more muscles that I could use some work on."

"Okay. I guess I'll see you around." Dario shook Sonny's hand and left.

Sonny walked over to the guys who had finished stretching. "Hey guys. Didn't know I would run into you guys."

"Sonny." Chad greeted him. "You work out here, too. Did you come alone?"

Sonny pointed behind him towards the door. "No. Dario just left. We got here pretty early. What are you guys about to do?" Sonny looked at Will to make sure Will got the hint that he was pointing the conversation to him.

Will did not feel comfortable talking to Sonny, especially after Chad told Will about Sonny's sexual orientation. "I think we are just going to run today." Will turned to EJ and Chad. "We probably should find some free treadmills before everyone else takes them." EJ agreed. Will turned back to Sonny and said rather callously, "Have fun with whatever you're doing."

Sonny watched as Will, Chad, and EJ walked off. He noticed that something was different about Will and did not like how he had changed. He decided that he needed to find out what changed.

* * *

><p>At the Horton House, Abigail and Gabi sat in the kitchen contemplating the dilemma that was their love life. Gabi sighed as she rested her head on her hand. "I don't know what I am going to do with myself! I don't know how much more I can take with keeping things slow with Will. I am so ready to just sleep with him… I want to snap my finger and be done with it."<p>

Abigail felt bad for Gabi. "I can tell that you're frustrated, but I have to say that your first time should be important. You shouldn't rush it or want it to be over with. You won't like it if you feel that way." Abigail laughed at the advice she just gave Gabi. "Like I am one to talk…"

"What do you mean?"

"Don't get me wrong, my first time was special and memorable. I'm just saying that it's ironic that I am talking to you about how you should wait until you're ready, when I am using sex to keep Chad away from his family and make him mine." Abigail let out a giggle.

"Abigail Johanna Deveraux!" Gabi and Abigail turned around to see Jennifer standing at the door. "Please tell me that I did not hear you correctly!"

As Jennifer made her way to the girls, Abigail tried to diminish the disappointment written all over her mother's face. "Mom, you know that I am not a virgin."

"I know." Jennifer decided she would never get used to that fact, but knew she had to collect her thoughts before she continued to lecture Abigail for what she wanted to do. "Girls, I need you to hear me when I say that sex is not a game and should not be used to trap men into anything." Jennifer thought about her past mistakes in using sex as a device with bad men. "Trust me. I know from experience. It never ends well."

Abigail and Gabi saw the seriousness in Jennifer's eyes. Jennifer continued, "Please… do not have sex with someone unless love is involved. Make sure you love him and he loves you. It should not be taken lightly." Jennifer looked Abigail and Gabi over. She put her hand on Abigail's shoulder and squeezed it hoping that what she had to share got through to them.

* * *

><p>Chad walked into the bathroom at the Salem Gym after telling EJ and Will to go ahead without him to the sauna. As he was finding a urinal to use, Sonny walked into the bathroom and chose the urinal next to Chad. Chad noticed Sonny looking into his urinal checking him out. "Why don't you take a picture? It will last longer."<p>

Sonny looked up to Chad's face and gave Chad a smirk. "I'm only scoping out the competition."

Confused, Chad looked back at Sonny. "What are you talking about? We don't even play for the same team."

"Open your eyes, Chad. You will see what I see." Sonny looked down again. Chad shook his head, pulled his shorts up, and flushed the urinal. He believed that Sonny was just trying to play mind games with him. Chad made his way to the sinks to wash his hands. Sonny flushed and headed over to the sinks as well. "So what's up with Will today? He acted weird when I came over to say hi earlier."

Chad checked himself out in the mirror as he washed the soap off his hands. "Well, I told him you were gay. Maybe that's why." Chad turned to Sonny. "You know he's a homophobe, right?"

It annoyed Sonny that Chad told Will, but it annoyed him even more that Will's response to the news was to become homophobic. "Well, I guess he's one of those self-hating…" Sonny stopped himself before he could say anymore realizing that he almost told Chad Will's secret. Sonny did not know for sure that Will was gay, but he had his suspicions.

Chad shook his hands before turning off the sink. "What are you trying to say?"

Sonny had to think of something to cover what he almost revealed. "I was just saying that Will seems depressed… and tries to push people away, so he can continue to hate himself. I wish there was something we could do about that."

Chad thought about what Sonny said, and even though he said it awkwardly, he knew he was right. "Yeah. I think he's getting better." Chad grabbed a paper towel to dry his hands.

Sonny grabbed a paper towel as well. "Chad, does it bother you that I am gay?"

Chad shrugged his shoulders but wondered where his question came from. "No. It doesn't bother me." Squinting his eyes, Chad gave Sonny a questioning look. "Are you flirting with me?" Chad smirked at Sonny.

Sonny walked to Chad's side. "I'm into someone else. Don't flatter yourself." Sonny tossed the now wet paper towel into the trash bin and walked out. Chad turned around wondering who Sonny liked.

* * *

><p>While Chad was in the bathroom with Sonny, EJ and Will settled into the sauna. Will took a seat on the other side of a corner from EJ. They were both wrapped in nothing but short towels around their waists. EJ leaned back and got comfortable. "I am glad that you decided to join my brother and me today. I hope that you will continue to join us."<p>

Will smiled. "I am pretty sure that I will. It's not really fun working out alone. You're more motivated when you have others with you and you definitely get better results."

EJ agreed. "You're right about that." EJ stood up and took off his towel to adjust it. Will could not stop himself from checking EJ out. EJ was an attractive guy who seemed to take care of himself. As Will was checking him out, Will realized one reason that his mother was so in love with they guy.

Will became conscious of what he was doing and immediately looked away. Will became upset, embarrassed, and nervous wondering what would have happened if EJ caught him. EJ noticed that Will looked away from his naked body and covered up with the towel again. As EJ took a seat, he smiled. "Are you okay?"

Will slowly turned his head back. "Yeah… I am fine."

EJ could see the embarrassment on Will's face. "Sometimes I forget that nudity can be so awkward here in the States. In Europe, it's everyday living. It's natural and not shameful. I did not mean to make you feel uncomfortable."

"No, you're fine. Just caught me off guard is all." Will nervously smiled at EJ wanting this experience to go away as soon as possible.


	16. Chapter 16 The BreakUp

**Chapter 16: The Break-Up – Sunday, July 3rd, 2011**

After cleaning up from his workout earlier, Will decided to walk to the pier for some time alone to think. His life had changed so much recently and he realized he had been wasting his life away. He thought about how he had always checked out guys growing up, but he believed he did so for other reasons. He began to realize that he could not blame Sonny for his problem. This problem was always there. Will wondered what he could do as he felt very stuck.

Will's thoughts faded when Will spotted Sonny. He stood up still feeling a bit guarded. "What are you doing here? Are you following me now?"

Sonny stopped himself from getting any closer as Will looked upset. "I wanted to talk to you, and then I saw you head this way from the pub." Sonny slowly walked closer to Will, but made sure he still gave Will space between them. "I know that Chad told you that I'm gay. I am hoping that we can talk about it."

Will took a seat on the bench realizing that he should not feel threatened by Sonny. "Yeah. I guess."

Sonny came over and took a seat next to Will. "I wanted to tell you, but I guess a part of me feared that you would not want to be my friend." Sonny continued, "I know that is not an excuse. I should have just come forward with it. I'm usually up front and honest about everything."

Will assured Sonny that he had nothing to worry about and thought about how Sonny claimed to be open and honest about everything. "Can I ask you a question?" Sonny shook his head. "How did you know you were gay?"

Sonny leaned back in the bench as he thought about how to answer Will's question. "I guess I kind of always knew. I realized that I checked out a lot of guys growing up and wondered what it would be like to kiss them. Never really thought about girls that way though. I did not know exactly what that meant until later, but I did notice that I was different from my brothers and other friends when it came to that." Sonny noticed that Will seemed really sad for him. "It's good. Now that I know that I am gay, and I have accepted it, I have been able to live my life the way that I want to."

Will observed that Sonny seemed content and even happy with his life. Will found that he curiously admired Sonny for that. He began to wonder if being gay was a problem at all because of Sonny's attitude towards it. "I think I might be que… questioning my sexuality," Will spit out surprising himself. He pretty much knew he was gay, but was not ready to say it. He looked to Sonny for answers because he knew from experience. "I wish there was a way to know for sure."

Sonny and Will's eyes met. Sonny moved in closer and began to kiss Will lightly holding the back of his head to pull him in closer. Sonny and Will had their eyes open at first, but then closed them as they started to get into the kiss. Since they were so caught up in the moment, they did not notice Melanie walk around the corner. She saw them kissing. Shocked, Melanie decided to walk away before they could see her.

When they separated, Will could not believe that Sonny kissed him. "Why… why did you kiss me?"

"Did you enjoy it?"

Will thought about what he felt during the kiss and nodded his head. Touching his lips, he answered, "I did. You're a pretty good kisser."

Sonny smiled trying not to blush. "I've had practice." Sonny could see that the kiss still had a considerable effect on Will. "What did you think about your kiss with Chad?"

Will smiled when he thought about kissing Chad. Thinking about it made him go into his own world as he described that moment aloud for the first time, "That was awesome. Not awesome in the sense of how it's overused nowadays, but full of awe. I remember feeling fear and excitement at the same time." Will snapped out of it and noticed that Sonny had an impressed look on his face. Will tried to smile. "I guess that kiss should have sealed the deal for me." Will appreciated Sonny's friendliness and help. "You want to know something pathetic?" Will grabbed his neck.

"What's that?" Sonny noticed the tone of Will's voice had changed from when he was describing his kiss with Chad.

"I was ready to blame this all on you. I really wanted to believe that the reason I began questioning my sexuality was due to you playing mind games with me. I wanted to blame you for my brokenness. How stupid am I? I'm sorry I thought that you were capable of that. I know better now."

Sonny shook Will's shoulder with his hand. "I forgive you. No harm done." Will felt better that he got that off of his chest. "Well, now you know you're at least bi." Sonny thought that by saying bi, it would soften the blow a bit for Will.

"No, I'm not bi. I'm gay," Will conceded. "I never experienced this with Gabi or any of the other girls I forced myself to date. I realize now that I was just going through the motions and playing the part that I believed everyone expected me to play." Will did not know what would come, but from what he noticed in Sonny, he realized it would be best to just accept it.

"It's going to be okay, Will. I promise that you will be fine."

Will thanked Sonny for helping him through this. Will suddenly stood up. "Can we talk later? There's something I need to do."

Sonny wondered where Will had to go but figured Will did not have time to talk since he stood up so quickly. "Sure. Just give me a call or something if you need me."

* * *

><p>EJ arrived at the Dimera Mansion and found Sami having a drink in the living room. He put his coat on the arm of the sofa. "My day just got better." EJ smiled, walked over to Sami, and gave her a kiss on the head.<p>

Sami rested her hand on EJ's chest and began to play with the buttons on his shirt. "Well, I know a way to make it even better." Sami smiled at EJ while looking into his eyes flirtatiously.

EJ promptly caught on to Sami's advances. He looked at her inquisitively, "You are in an interesting mood. May I ask what has you so excited? Not that I am complaining of course."

Sami was excited that EJ asked her. "Well, I got a job."

EJ did not know how to respond to Sami's announcement as he did not know she was job hunting. "What are you talking about? You know that you do not have to work. Why would you get a job?"

"I want to work. I wanted a job." Sami became concerned that maybe EJ would not be as excited as she was about her job. "I'm working for the family."

"You got a job at the pub?"

"No. Not that family. Our family. I talked to your dad earlier and he agreed to bring me on as part of the family business." Sami smiled hoping that EJ would be okay with this.

Sami's announcement surprised EJ. He looked at her to confirm that she really was working for the family. She shook her head. He smiled as he placed both of his hands on the sides of her face. "This is exciting." He pulled her into a kiss.

"How about we go celebrate some more upstairs?" Sami began to play with the buttons on EJ's shirt again.

EJ eagerly agreed as Stefano walked in and grunted to make his presence known. EJ put his hand on Sami's face, "I'll meet you upstairs."

"Don't be too long." Sami walked past Stefano leaving the room.

EJ walked over to his father with a smile on his face. "So Samantha told me the good news. It surprised me, but I think it will be good to have her working with us."

Stefano immediately rolled his eyes and headed over to pour himself a drink. "I'm glad that you are excited about it Elvis. I fear that I may live to regret my decision." Stefano took a quick shot.

* * *

><p>Gabi rushed out of her room to see if Dario was still around. She spotted her brother eating an apple. Trying to hide her disappointment, she asked, "Are you going over Melanie's tonight?"<p>

Dario pulled the apple away from his mouth. "No, why would I go over to Melanie's? Do you not remember what we witnessed after your beach party?" Dario took a bite out of his apple and shook his head at Gabi's stupid question.

"Well, are you going out somewhere?"

Dario made his way over to Gabi. "Why do I get the feeling that you're trying to get rid of me?"

"Well, I got a text from Will telling me that he is coming over. I kind of need you to be out of the apartment before he arrives." Gabi watched as Dario slowly ate his apple without a word. She attempted to wait for his answer, but he just continued to stare at his apple. "Well? Can you leave?"

Dario finished his apple and threw the apple core into the trash. "Don't worry. I am heading out to work anyway. The apartment is all yours." Dario grabbed his keys from the table and left. Pleased, Gabi headed back to her room to make sure she was presentable for Will.

While in the hallway outside of his door, Dario ran into Melanie. Dario had startled Melanie, who was still reeling over what she witnessed on the pier. Melanie smiled when she saw him as she wanted to talk to him about their relationship. "Dario! We need to talk about…"

"Sorry," Dario interrupted. "I am heading to work, so I cannot talk right now." Dario left Melanie standing in the hallway. Melanie wondered why Dario seemed so cold with her. She also wondered if she should tell Gabi what she witnessed.

* * *

><p>Chad rang the doorbell when he arrived at the Horton House. Abigail answered the door wearing a silk robe that covered most of her body. Chad wondered if Abigail forgot that they agreed to hang out tonight. "Hey."<p>

"My mom is out with Daniel tonight, so we have the place to ourselves!" Abigail grabbed Chad's arm and pulled him inside. After closing the front door, she grabbed Chad's hand and led him to her room upstairs. Chad wondered what Abigail had planned for him. The secrecy excited him.

Once they made it inside Abigail's bedroom, she pushed Chad onto her bed and closed her door. She smiled as she made her way over to him. She lightly massaged his chest as she began to kiss him. Chad went with it and began to kiss her back. Next thing he knew they were involved in an intense make out session. Although Abigail had her hands under Chad's shirt, she made sure that Chad could not get his hands into her robe. Chad decided to stop trying for a while thinking that Abigail did not want to spoil her surprise of what she had on underneath just yet.

When Abigail knew that Chad was excited, she got off the bed and stood up playing with the robe tie. Chad sat up in Abigail's bed watching as she played with the knot. He tried to hide his excitement, but Abigail could see it written all over his face. "We could have a lot of fun tonight… if you give me the correct answer." Abigail made sure she put an emphasis on the word 'if'.

Chad suddenly felt like Billy Madison studying for a test. Skeptical, he decided to ask Abigail, "What's the question?"

Abigail continued to play with the knot and noticed Chad could not keep his eyes off of what she was doing. "Well, it's not a hard question… very simple in fact." Chad looked up at Abigail anticipating the question. "Me or the Dimera family?"

Abigail's question took Chad out of the moment. He did not know how to respond to Abigail's question because it confused him. "What? What are you asking me?"

"Chad, pick one. It's me or the Dimeras. Who would you rather be with for the rest of your life?" Abigail smiled as she waited for Chad's answer.

Chad immediately jumped out of the bed to stand in front of Abigail. "You cannot be serious, right?" Chad hoped that Abigail would admit that she was joking, but she would not back down. Chad got upset and decided to let Abigail know that he was not playing this game with her. "I cannot believe that you are asking me to choose between you and my family. I am not playing this game with you. Why would you ask me to choose?"

Abigail did not expect Chad to react this way. No longer feeling in control, she had to do some damage control. "Because I love you, Chad."

"Love? Are you serious? You cannot play games with my head and then tell me you love me. It doesn't work that way!" Chad wanted Abigail to understand that he wanted things to work out between them, but she needed to accept that he would always be a Dimera.

Annoyed, Abigail spit out without thinking, "Well, it works for Stefano! Why can't it work for me?"

Chad could not believe that Abigail would use his father's behavior as an excuse for her own. "I thought you were supposed to be better than my father. Isn't that what you always say?" Chad grabbed his stuff and headed out of her room.

Abigail followed Chad down the stairs in haste. "Where are you going? We are not done here!"

Before Chad could open the front door, he stopped and turned around to answer her question. "I'm getting out of here! Call me when you're done playing games!" Chad opened the door and slammed it behind him.

* * *

><p>Sonny and Adrienne were playing pool at the Cheatin' Heart. Dario walked by them to give another customer his drink. Adrienne noticed that Dario's mind appeared to be elsewhere. Adrienne motioned Dario over while Sonny was taking his shot. "Are you okay?"<p>

"Yeah, boss. Why?"

"Well, you look like you're somewhere else tonight. Could you maybe smile a bit more when you're serving the customers?" Adrienne looked over and saw that Sonny sunk in the eight-ball. "Rematch!"

"I'll try to be more present, boss." Dario forced a smile and headed back to the bar.

Sonny told his mother he would be back and asked her to set up the table. Sonny followed Dario to the bar and took a seat. "So what did Melanie do this time?"

Dario sighed. "Nothing. She wanted to talk to me before I came into work. I think she still wants to be friends even though she's dating Nathan. I don't think I can be friends-only with her."

"Yeah, that sucks man." Sonny felt bad for Dario.

"I think I was close to making Melanie mine, too. Nathan Horton just had to come back into town and pull her away from me." Dario really wanted to forget about Melanie, but she really made an impact on his life in Salem.

Sonny decided to try to remain positive for Dario. "Keep your head up, man. You'll get lucky one day." Sonny smiled at Dario to try to get him to smile. Dario shook his head and smiled. "We'll talk later." Sonny got up and headed over to the pool table.

* * *

><p>Back at Dario and Gabi's apartment, Will finally arrived to find Gabi dressed up for a special occasion. Will immediately felt really guilty that he did not make it clear that they were just going to talk. Gabi noticed that Will seemed uncomfortable when he walked in. "Did I overdo it?"<p>

"No, Gabi. You're fine. Can we just sit down?" Will thought about how he would tell her. He had it all figured out before he arrived, but his plans seemed to go out the window once he walked in. As they sat down, Gabi began to ask if he wanted something to drink, but Will stopped her. "Gabi, I am fine. I just really need to talk to you about something."

Gabi nervously responded, "This sounds serious." Gabi looked at the clothes she had on. "I did overdress, didn't I?"

"No, Gabi you look beautiful. You always look beautiful." Gabi smiled at Will's sweet comment. Will continued, "I want you to know that you will always be one of my best friends."

Gabi began to get nervous again as it sounded like Will was trying to break up with her. "What's that supposed to mean, Will? What are you not telling me?" Before Will could answer, she continued, "This is all my fault isn't it? I pushed you too hard on having sex. I hovered and now you want to break up with me."

Will grabbed Gabi's hands to help her calm down. "No. This is not your fault. It's me, I promise. I know that is the cliché thing to say, but I promise you this is not your fault. I have really thought about this. I wish that I did not have to tell you this, but I do believe it is for the best." Tears began to form in Gabi's eyes as Will took a breath before coming out with it. "I think we should just be friends. I think we should break up." Will watched as Gabi broke down in front of him. He knew she would take the news hard, but hoped that she would not be so upset. "Gabi, you deserve someone who is amazing and loves you back."

Gabi tried to wipe the tears off her face. She looked at Will. "Why can't you be that guy?" Will froze knowing that he was not ready to admit to her he's gay. He decided to just keep apologizing to her to avoid having to answer her question. Gabi's pain began to turn into anger as she realized Will did not want to tell her why he could not be that guy. She stood up and screamed, "Do you know how much I have put into our relationship? I have put so much energy into trying to make you happy and trying to make this work." She walked over to the other side of Will who was standing up now as well. "I am not accepting that we are over Will. I cannot just let this go."

Will tried to remain as calm as possible. "Gabi, you have to accept we are over. I'm sorry."

Gabi could not look at or hear Will anymore. "Just leave then. If you want us to be over than you should just go!" Gabi made her way to the door and opened it for Will to leave. Will decided not to say anything else because he knew it would only make things worse. After Gabi closed the door, she fell against it and began to cry once again.


	17. Chapter 17 Not Giving Up

**Chapter 17: Not Giving Up – Monday, July 4th, 2011**

The next morning, Dario walked into his apartment carrying three cups of coffee from the small coffee shop down the stairs. He hoped that Gabi would still be in her room, but he found her sitting on the couch. He walked over to see if she was okay. He knew that Will broke up with her because she sent him a text about it while he was at work the night before. "What are you doing out of bed?"

"I couldn't just lay there anymore." Gabi had clearly seen better days.

"Here. I got you this." Dario handed Gabi one of the cups of coffee hoping it would cheer her up. "I got your favorite. I hope it helps. We should drink to your independence. It is the 4th of July."

Gabi took the cup and smelled it. "Thanks." She tried to smile at her brother and noticed that Dario had two more cups. "Why did you get three cups of coffee?"

"Oh…" Dario grabbed his head. "I kind of overdid it with the drinks last night after work. I thought two cups would do the trick in helping me through this hangover."

Gabi stood up. "Well, thanks for the coffee. I have to get ready for work unfortunately. I don't know if I can make it through my shift."

"You'll be fine, Gabi. If you need anything let me know." Gabi nodded. Dario watched as she walked into her bedroom. He went back to his room rubbing his head.

* * *

><p>At Dimera Enterprises, Stefano was giving Will a tour of where he delegated his public legal business in Salem. Stefano made sure that Will met every single person he would be working with and began to wrap up the tour. "So as you can see, William, this is the side of the business that your family does not want you to know about. They like to say I am evil, but that is definitely not completely accurate. They want you to believe that Dimera Enterprises does not actually exist. The truth is that it does and helps all of Salem."<p>

Will had a lot to take in and knew that he would learn a lot through his internship at Dimera Enterprises. He met a lot of people who seemed eager to show him the ropes. He noticed an office Stefano had not taken him to. As he began to wonder who the office belonged to, the door opened and a familiar face came out. "Mom… what are you doing here?"

Sami stormed over to Stefano and Will. "I work here now," she said with a soft tone before turning back to Stefano with a glare on her face.

Stefano noticed that Sami's presence seemed to annoy Will. He hoped Will did not feel as though Stefano had set him up. "I would have told you earlier that your mother started today, but it escaped my mind. I hope that you do not change your mind about this internship."

"Of course not." Will decided that he could not let his mother's presence ruin the experience for him.

"Will, can I have a moment with Stefano? I need to talk to him about something in private." Will agreed and left.

Stefano gave Sami an impatient look. "What is it, Samantha?"

"This is not what I had in mind when I told you that I wanted to join the family business. I told you that I wanted in on everything and you have me in an office filing old forms. Give me what I want!"

Stefano got in Sami's face. "Don't push me or tell me what to do. You'll have to earn a place in my family!"

Stefano's warning did not please Sami. "EJ won't be happy about this!" Sami turned around and headed back into her office. Stefano rolled his eyes wondering what he got himself into.

* * *

><p>Melanie and Abigail were talking on the job at Salem University Hospital. Melanie did not know what to do with Dario since he seemed to want to avoid having anything to do with her. "I don't know what happened, but every time I say hi or try to talk to him, he tells me that he is busy. It's so frustrating and confusing. Here I am trying to tell him that I want to be with him, but now it appears he's not even interested."<p>

"That does not make any sense. He could not stop looking at you when we were on the beach. I think you should just keep trying to talk to him. Maybe he really is busy." Abigail thought about what she did to Chad the night before. "I'm actually afraid to talk to Chad right now. I did something really stupid last night."

"What did you do?"

"He came over last night to hang out with me, but I set him up. I was wearing a sexy teddy underneath my sexy robe, you know, the pink one?" Melanie nodded her head. "Well, I took him upstairs to my room and we got hot and heavy. Before we could go any further I told him that the only way I would have sex with him was if he chose me over his family."

"What did he say?" Melanie could not believe that Abigail would do something like that, but knew that she should not judge considering her own past.

"He was upset! I don't blame him now, but at the time I did not understand why the choice seemed so hard for him to make. I thought he loved me, and when I told him I did all of that because I loved him, he got more upset." Abigail felt disgusted by her decisions on how to handle Chad, especially after her mother warned her against it. "I really don't know what got into me. I felt like I was going to lose Chad, so I had to do something."

Before Melanie could respond, Nathan walked over to them shaking his head. "It's not even close to break time for either of you, so I am assuming that instead of working you two are gossiping. Don't let Nurse Maxine catch you because she will own the both of you." Nathan walked away after slapping the nurse's station with his hand.

Melanie noticed that Abigail was about to walk away to get back to work. "Abigail, don't let Nathan scare you. He just did all that because he's upset with me and doesn't know how to get over it."

Abigail turned back to Melanie. "So what should I do?"

"I think you should talk to him and apologize. I don't think you were being yourself when you decided to do this, and I believe Chad knows that as well. Start over with him and try to be more accepting of what he's going through." Melanie gave her a reassuring smile.

"That sounds good. Wow, Melanie. You give good advice."

Melanie laughed. "You can thank Maggie for that."

* * *

><p>At the Brady Pub, Gabi walked into Caroline's office hoping that she could have a moment of her time. Caroline looked up and noticed that Gabi seemed upset. "Gabi, what's wrong? Is a customer giving you a hard time? Is that pervert Larry back?"<p>

Gabi smiled as she tried to reassure Caroline that the customers were treating her right. "No. It has nothing to do with the customers. I just wanted to talk to you about something. Do you have a minute?"

"Sure. Have a seat." Caroline motioned to a chair, which Gabi took. "What's on your mind?"

Gabi paused to collect her thoughts. "I hate to tell you this after everything you have done for me, but I do not think I can continue working at the pub. I'll finish my shift, but I don't think I should continue after today. I do not feel comfortable."

Caroline tried to hide her disappointment. "What happened? What would make you decide to quit?"

Gabi began to tear up as she spoke, "Will broke up with me. He told me we were better off as friends."

Gabi's revelation worried Caroline, but she managed to hold it together. "I'm sorry to hear that Gabi." Caroline knew that she could not let Gabi give up on her relationship with Will. "Look, if I know my great-grandson, I know that he is doing what he thinks is best for you. I have noticed that he's been down a bit about something and he probably figures that by pushing you away he will be saving you from himself."

"You're right." Will breaking up with Gabi really upset her, but she knew that Caroline had a point. "So what do I do?"

"Don't give up on Will. He still needs you. Just make him see that he needs you in his life and that you really do love him and will be there for him no matter what." Pleased that Gabi seemed to understand that Will needed her, Caroline continued, "I'm going to pretend that you did not come in here to quit because I do think that you need to continue working here to let Will know that you are here to stay."

"Whatever you think is best, Mrs. Brady." Gabi stood up to head back to work, but Caroline stopped her.

"If you need any help or advice, you can always come back to me. I'm here for you." Caroline smiled as Gabi agreed to come to her. After Gabi walked out, Caroline worried that if Gabi ever gave up on Will, Will might be lost forever.

* * *

><p>Sonny walked into the Cheatin' Heart and found his mother and father sitting at a table. He knew that they were waiting for him because they called a family meeting. He walked over. "Good morning."<p>

Adrienne and Justin smiled when they saw Sonny. "Good morning, son. You never came home last night? Where were you?"

"I stayed the night at Abigail's house. She sent me a text last night saying that she needed someone to talk to and I fell asleep over there. Is everything okay?"

"Everything is fine. I told your mother last night that I was able to set up a summer internship at my law firm and thought that I would offer it to you." Justin smiled at Adrienne.

Sonny scratched his head. "Wait. Why would you offer me an internship at your law firm? You know I have no interest in being a lawyer. I want to go into medicine."

"Well, that doesn't really matter, sweetie. In the grand scheme of things experience is experience and I think you could learn a lot from your father and his colleagues." Adrienne looked to Justin to continue this tough sell.

"Your mother is right. I think it would look good for possible scholarships if they see that you have kept busy over the summer before your first semester at Salem U." Justin looked to Sonny hoping that he would bite and take the opportunity.

"But I am keeping busy at the Brady Pub. I actually like it there." Sonny noticed that his parents' faces changed when he mentioned the pub. "You guys seem really adamant about me taking this internship. It also seems like you don't want me to work at the pub anymore. What's really going on?"

Adrienne and Justin looked to each other to decide who would be the one to tell him why they wanted him to take the internship. Adrienne nudged Justin to explain what happened. Justin sighed and looked at his son. "Well, you're right. We don't want you to work at the pub anymore."

"Why?"

"Well, I was over there yesterday and I heard an employee at the pub going on about how homosexuality is wrong and that gay people should stay away from everyone." Justin hoped that his son would not be too upset.

Sonny leaned back in his seat. "Is that all? If I keep getting upset about someone making a negative comment about me being gay, I would never find a job that I would like. Look, it doesn't matter what someone said. Don't worry about me."

"What about what Dario said the other night? His comment really upset you and he didn't even mean to say something negative about homosexuality." Adrienne shot out.

"That was different. I mean, yeah… I was hurt by what Dario said and whoever you overheard, dad, that sucks, too. I just have to accept the fact that not everyone will agree with how I live my life. I really do like working at the pub. It's flexible and the people there are really nice." Sonny wondered who would say something negative about gay people. "So dad, who did you overhear?"

Justin froze for a second and decided that he could not tell Sonny that it was Caroline because that could cause problems between their families. "I don't remember."

"Well, it's settled then. I am working at the pub for the summer and there's no reason why I should stop." Sonny stood up from his chair. "I have to go as my shift is about to start. I will see you later tonight." Sonny walked out after giving his mother a kiss on the cheek.

* * *

><p>Back at Dimera Enterprises, Chad ran into Will in the hall. "Hey man! How's your first day going?"<p>

"I guess it's okay. So far my tasks have included: delivery boy, delivery boy, and oh… delivery boy." Will and Chad laughed. "I also found out that I am sort of working for my mom. Her first assignment for me was to find a place for us to have lunch later. I swear I think the only reason she took this job was so that she could keep an eye out on me."

"Don't sweat it. She's just worried about you. Just do your job and you'll enjoy the experience." Chad pulled Will closer to the wall so that they would not be in the way. He was excited that he ran into Will and hoped that they could continue talking. "So anything else new in your life?"

"Well, last night I broke up with Gabi. It was crazy, but I know it was the right thing to do." Will noticed that Chad's face lit up when he told him the news. Will wondered if Chad's excitement meant that Chad, too, had a secret crush on Will.

"You're not going to believe this! Abigail and I got into a fight last night and we're on a break… I guess it's sort of the same. It really sucks man, but I guess it's Independence Day!" Will's hope that Chad had a crush on him diminished. Chad continued, "Sometimes I wonder if she even really likes me. I think if she could find another guy's brain and put it in my body, she would be happy. So why did you and Gabi break up?"

Will began to cough to create some time to think about how to answer Chad's question. Chad put his hand on Will's shoulder to make sure he was okay. Will stopped coughing and answered, "I think Gabi and I are better off just being friends. There was just too much pressure I guess."

"That makes sense." Chad's face lit up again as an idea came to him. "Dude, I have the perfect idea for us to get over our girl troubles. We should have a guys-only camping trip or something." Chad watched as Will's face lit up as well. He also noticed Will's infectious smile. "So you think it's a good idea?"

"Yeah. It sounds great. When would we go?" Will hoped he would say tomorrow, but knew that they both had work to do.

"We could leave Friday and come back Sunday afternoon. We could invite a few more guys, so that we won't get bored… not that you and I would get bored alone of course… but you know…"

Will remained excited, but did not know what Chad meant by his comment. He wondered if Chad did not want to be alone with him for that long. "Yeah… I guess."

"We should meet up later and decide who to invite – remember – no girls!" Will could see Chad's excitement about the camping trip.


	18. Chapter 18 The Blessing

**Chapter 18: The Blessing – Thursday, July 7th, 2011**

The week seemed to fly by rather quickly for Chad and Will as it was now the day before they would leave for their camping trip. The guys' excitement for Friday intensified when Thursday hit, but the slow pace of Thursday made their wait feel even longer – though Thursday still had the makings of becoming an important day.

At the hospital, Stefano met Kate by the nurse's station after his checkup appointment. Kate hugged Stefano after he told her nothing but good news. Knowing that her father had an appointment today, Lexie made her way over to check in to see how it went. "Hey, father." She gave him a kiss on the cheek and then nodded her head to Kate to acknowledge her. "How was the appointment?"

Stefano smiled and announced, "Dr. Jonas gave me a clean bill of health. Sugar is down and the medication is working." Stefano grabbed Kate's hand and gently pulled her closer. "It also helps that I have Katherine by my side. She makes sure that I take care of myself." Stefano kissed Kate's hand.

Kate smiled at Stefano and Lexie. "Well, I do what I can."

"That's good to hear. How are you handling the stresses in your life?" Lexie crossed her arms and waited for Stefano to answer. "… stresses like Sami Brady living in the mansion."

Stefano rolled his eyes and tried to not let the thought of Sami raise his blood pressure. "Well, I am handling Samantha the best I can. You know if I had it my way, I would have gotten rid of the woman ages ago, but Elvis is not willing to let her go this time."

"Let's hope that EJ comes to his senses," Kate added with a smirk.

Lexie sighed. "It can't be that bad. You know I am not Sami's biggest fan, but I do know how much my brother loves Sami, and it seems that she loves him."

Stefano shook his head. "Samantha can be a great ally if manipulated in the right way. That is why I am able to handle her." Stefano smiled as Lexie shook her head in disproval.

* * *

><p>As Sami walked down the stairs of the Dimera Mansion, the door bell rang. "I'll get it," Sami yelled as she made her way to the bottom of the stairs. After making her way to the door, she opened it to find Abigail standing on the other side. "Abigail, come in." Abigail walked in after greeting Sami and waited while Sami closed the door. Abigail did not want to venture further into the house alone. She smiled as Sami spoke, "So what can I do for you?"<p>

"I'm actually looking for Chad. Is he here?" Abigail hoped that Chad would be around for her to apologize about what happened in her bedroom. She moved her hair from her face.

"Actually, he is not here." Sami noticed that Abigail seemed anxious about something. "Are you okay? Do you need to talk?" Sami gave Abigail an inquisitive look.

Abigail sighed. "Things are just really complicated between Chad and me." Abigail thought about how she had talked to Sami at Java Café about her difficulties with Kate and Stefano and figured that Sami also had experience with falling in love with a Dimera man. "How do you do it?"

Sami let out a curious giggle. "Do what?"

"How do you manage being in love with EJ Dimera while still being okay with the fact that he is a Dimera? I mean, it's my opinion that dating the Dimera men is quite complicated. Is it complicated for you?"

"Well, it was for me for a while there because I fought it like crazy." Sami thought about all the things that happened between her and EJ. "Look, what it all boils down to is whether or not you can fully accept him for everything he is. If you can or at the least think you can accept everything than you truly love him, but if you doubt that it is even possible, you should probably run away while you can."

Abigail began to worry. "What happens if you don't run away?"

Sami could tell that Abigail's anxiousness increased. "If you can't accept him fully, then you'll always end up hurting each other." Sami wondered if her warning had helped Abigail at all. "Do you love Chad?"

Abigail knew that she had a lot of information that needed to sink in. She sheepishly looked at Sami, "I don't know. I just know that I need to apologize to him."

* * *

><p>At the Brady Pub, Gabi brought out two burger plates from the kitchen and handed them to Sonny. "Here's your table's order."<p>

Sonny thanked Gabi and brought them over to a table where Melanie and Dario were seated. "Here's your food." Sonny placed the plates on the table and noticed that they needed refills on their drinks. "I'll bring over refills."

Melanie and Dario thanked Sonny and watched him walk away to the bar. Melanie looked back to Dario. They had awkwardly sat there in silence while waiting for their food. Melanie decided to finally say something. "I'm glad you finally agreed to meet with me."

Dario smirked at Melanie and replied, "Well, you can be quite persistent and since I know what you want to tell me, I agreed to meet with you so that we can get this over with and move on."

Melanie did not know how to respond to Dario because he claimed to know what she wanted to talk to him about, and his mood showed that he did not think it was a good thing. She began to doubt whether she should tell him that she was interested in dating him. "What do you mean you know?"

Annoyed, Dario let it out straightforwardly, "You and Nathan are dating. I know because I saw you and Nathan kissing last weekend outside of your apartment." Dario crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair.

Realization came over Melanie as Dario finished telling her what he thought she wanted to talk to him about. "Wow." She finally understood why Dario had been cold with her since the night of the beach party and felt bad that he witnessed the kiss that she shared with Nathan. "I wish you had come to me about this before. I can explain everything. Nathan and I…" Melanie's cell phone began to ring. Melanie pulled it out and noticed that it was the hospital. "Hold on… I have to take this. I will be right back and I'll explain everything to you." Melanie got up and walked towards the back.

Sonny came over with refills and put them on the table. "Where did Melanie go?"

"She went to take a phone call and before you ask me how everything is going, don't… because I do not want to talk about it." Dario grabbed a fry and put it in his mouth.

Sonny sat down in Melanie's seat and smiled because Dario knew ahead of time that he would ask about Melanie. "Okay… well, I guess we can talk about the guys' camping trip this weekend. Are you still going?"

Dario perked up. "Yeah. I am actually looking forward to it. It will be nice to get out of here for a while. Away from all the drama of life…. away from the girls."

"Oh, I can help you with that," Sonny joked with a wink.

Gabi noticed that Sonny and Dario were talking and decided to come over. "What are you two talking about?" Sonny suddenly felt awkward with Gabi around. He did not feel comfortable telling Gabi about the camping trip that Will and Chad had planned. "Dario, digame."

Dario looked up to his sister. "Sonny and I were talking about a camping trip that we are going with the other guys."

"Other guys?" Gabi crossed her arms waiting for Dario to respond.

"Yeah, Chad and Will decided to plan a guys camping trip. Will invited Sonny and Sonny invited me, so we are leaving tomorrow." Dario took a sip of his drink hoping his sister would not make a big deal about it.

Gabi quickly got upset. "You are going camping with my ex-boyfriend and you don't think to mention it to me?"

Dario replied defensively, "Well, you asked me to play nice with him, so I didn't see a problem with it."

"¿Cual es tu problema? All you guys never think about what you're doing and don't consider anyone else's feelings. Last time I checked, I was your sister and he isn't. How dare you…"

Dario had enough of his sister's accusations. "What is my problem? Look, I don't have to listen to you go on and on about how much guys suck because last time I checked girls suck, too." Dario pulled out his wallet and dropped some money onto the table and walked out.

Gabi turned to Sonny. "I'm taking my lunch break. I'll be back later." Gabi took off her green apron and threw it at Sonny.

After Gabi had left, Sonny scratched his head as to what he witnessed. Melanie came back to find Dario gone and Sonny sitting in her seat. "What did I miss? Where is Dario?"

Sonny stood up and began to fold Gabi's apron. "He walked out after he and Gabi got into a fight. My guess is that he headed back to his apartment."

* * *

><p>Jennifer walked over and spotted Nathan reading a text by the coffee station at Salem University Hospital. She walked over and began to pour herself a cup of coffee while looking over his shoulder. "Texting with a cute girl?"<p>

Nathan turned towards Jennifer. "No. It's actually a text from Will about this camping trip he wants me to go on. Not sure if I should go."

Jennifer put the coffee pot down and grabbed a packet of sugar to put in her coffee. "You're not sure? If I remember correctly, you have always enjoyed camping. Your mother used to go on and on about how much you would beg her to go camping in Nashville."

"Well, I do enjoy camping."

"Then enjoy it." Jennifer began to stir her coffee.

"But it might be really awkward because Dario will probably be there. Melanie decided that she wants to be with him." Nathan looked down at his cup of coffee.

"Don't let that stop you from going. I think whether or not Dario is there it will be good for you. You could take time to yourself and reflect on things while you're out there." Jennifer tasted her coffee and then threw the coffee straw and empty sugar packet in the trash. "I think if you don't go, you'll regret it." She patted him on the back and walked away.

* * *

><p>At the Salem Gym, EJ, Chad, and Will were enjoying the end of their workout time in the sauna. EJ and Chad cracked jokes about the many Italian sayings that their father used on them. Will watched EJ and Chad and noted how much they had bonded as brothers. Will then got distracted as he looked at Chad's uncovered chest. He could not help but think about what it would be like to rest his head on Chad's chest and be held in his arms. As Will's thoughts continued to wonder, he realized that he was checking Chad out and it was very obvious… at least to him.<p>

Will got nervous when he heard EJ strategically cough causing Chad to stand up. "I think I've had enough. I'll see you guys in the locker room later." Will watched as Chad walked out wondering if he should follow him, but thought that EJ and Chad might see right through him if he did.

Will decided not to leave when EJ moved closer to Will. EJ turned to Will. "You have been awfully quiet all day. Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine." Will's heart began to beat a little faster.

"There is actually something I want to talk to you about," EJ nervously admitted. EJ timidly smiled which made Will even more anxious. EJ scratched his nose with his middle finger as he continued, "I tried to get in contact with your grandfather, Roman, but he has yet to return my calls. Big surprise right?" EJ joked.

Will wondered what EJ wanted to talk to him about. "What do you want to talk to me about?" Will asked suspiciously.

EJ decided to just come out with it. "I want to marry your mother and I was hoping to have your permission." EJ watched Will to see if he could read how Will might respond.

Will knew that this moment would come eventually, but it still surprised him. Will knew that his mother wanted to marry EJ as well and realized that even though he still had his doubts about his mother's relationship with EJ, he knew that he could not stand in their way. "Of course. I give you my blessing."

EJ immediately felt excited and gracious. "Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me."

Will forced a smile. He knew that he did the right thing because he did not want to get in EJ and Sami's way of what they wanted. Will believed he should not stop others from getting what they wanted just because he would never get what he wanted. He believed he would never have Chad.


	19. Chapter 19 The Proposal

**Chapter 19: The Proposal – Thursday, July 7th, 2011**

Gabi followed Dario into their apartment and slammed the door behind her. She realized that she could not attack her brother like she did in the pub. She needed to talk to him about Will and convince her brother to help her while on the trip with Will. "Dario, I am sorry for the way I attacked you at the pub earlier, but I need your help when you hang out with Will this weekend."

"Are you giving me permission to beat his ass for what he did to you?"

"No. I still want you to play nice. I need you to talk about me when you're with him. Tell him how I really miss him, but that I understand that he needs space. Let it slip that I've been crying a lot, but that I've tried to keep it to myself. Tell him that you're worried about me. Tell him…"

"Gabi!" Dario interjected to get her to stop talking. "You are asking too much. I don't know if I can do that."

"I need you to do this so he can realize that he misses me, too. He will come to his senses and come back to me! Trust me!" Gabi put her hands together to beg her brother.

"Okay. I'll do it, but don't get your hopes up. I don't want you to feel worse than you already do." Dario sat on the sofa as someone knocked on the front door.

Gabi went over and answered the door. "Melanie. Come in." Melanie walked in and looked at Dario. Gabi figured she would do her brother a favor since he was doing one for her. "I am going to head back to the pub. You two have a good talk." Gabi looked at Dario and said, "Remember." Gabi walked out and closed the door behind her leaving Melanie and Dario in awkward silence.

Melanie knew she did not have much time to talk because Nurse Maxine asked her to come in early. "Dario, I don't have much time, but I need to explain to you what happened last weekend."

Dario stood up and admitted how he felt, "Look, I don't like how I feel when I am around you now. I feel horrible when I see you because I know that I cannot have you. I understand that you and Nathan have history that you and I do not have."

Melanie could tell that Dario was hurting. She hated that he felt betrayed and unworthy of her. She knew exactly how he felt. "Yes, Nathan and I kissed the night of the party, but I told him after that I just wanted to be friends with him. Nathan and I are just friends, I promise." Dario looked away not sure how to respond to Melanie. Melanie looked at the time and realized she had to go. "Can we meet up later after my shift tonight?"

"I don't think that is a good idea."

Melanie knew she had to do something to convince Dario to meet up with her later. She rushed over to him and turned him around. She pulled him close and gave him a kiss. "I'll call you when I get off." Dario stood there in shock as he watched Melanie leave his apartment.

* * *

><p>Chad walked into the living room after coming down from his room and found Sami and EJ talking. When Sami turned around and spotted Chad, she remembered that she had something to tell him. "Chad, I am glad that I ran into you before I left. Abigail was here earlier to talk to you. I guess you haven't checked your phone?"<p>

Chad knew that Abigail had tried to reach him, but decided not to call her back. He figured he had blown her off long enough. Chad looked at the time. "Abigail should be home by now. I guess I'll just head over there and talk to her. Thanks for telling me."

Chad left leaving EJ and Sami alone. Sami walked over to EJ and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I have errands to run, so I will be back later tonight for dinner."

EJ gave Sami a kiss on her forehead and smiled. "Take your time." After EJ knew that he was alone, he pulled a small box out of his pocket. He opened it up to make sure the engagement ring was still inside. He figured it would be, but he had to be sure. He heard someone walk into the room, so he quietly closed the ring box and put it back in his pocket as fast as he could. After turning around, he let out a sigh of relief. "Ah… Father!"

Stefano stopped cold in his tracks. "What has got you so paranoid?" Stefano noticed that EJ was fiddling with something inside of his pocket.

"Father, I need you to take Kate out for dinner tonight. I need the house to be empty. I've already talked to Chad." EJ hoped Stefano would just do as he asked.

"I do not mind taking my wife out for dinner, but I am curious as to why you want us out of the house. What exactly do you have planned?" Stefano noticed that EJ's hand was once again in his pocket fiddling around. He realized what was going on. "Oh God! You are going to propose marriage to that woman!"

"Well, I guess I can never really hide anything from you." EJ rolled his eyes and took a seat realizing his father was about to give him a lecture.

"Can't you give it more time? I mean, the woman…"

"The woman has a name. It's Samantha!" EJ shot back.

Stefano lifted his hands to get EJ to calm down. "Samantha just moved in. What's the rush? You are making a horrible mistake, Elvis."

EJ waited until he knew his father was done. "Look father, whether you like it or not, Samantha will be a part of this family. This is it. It's a done deal!"

Stefano smirked. "She hasn't even said yes yet. It's not a done deal yet." Stefano headed towards the door. "I'll let you have the house alone with _your_ Samantha, but I still think it's a mistake!" Stefano threw his hands at EJ and walked out.

* * *

><p>After making a delivery for Stefano at the hospital, Will ran into Nathan in the hall. "Nathan! You still debating on whether you should go on the camping trip?"<p>

Nathan looked up and smiled at Will. "Unfortunately, I am. At this point, I do not think I should go. I can get the time off, but it might be best if I stayed in Salem this weekend."

"No… you have to go. We will have fun. It will be a blast! There will be swimming and hiking!" Will hoped his enthusiasm about the camping trip would convince Nathan to go. Even though Nathan did not grow up in Salem, he and Will got really close when Nathan lived with Lucas in the house Lucas planned to share with Chloë.

"It sounds like it's going to be so much fun." Nathan really wanted to go, but the fact that Dario would be there still bothered him. "I don't want to get in the way of all that though."

"How could you get in the way? You're like the camp expert of our family! We will need your expertise on this trip!"

"When you put it that way…" Nathan smiled a bit in shock that Will convinced him to go. "Okay. I'll go." Will smiled back excited that Nathan agreed to go. "I'll have to make sure I pack after my shift tonight."

"Awesome! This weekend will be a nice break from everything." Will noticed that Nathan's smile disappeared as Nathan's attention shifted to something else. "What's wrong?"

Nathan looked back to Will. "I should go. I will talk to you later." Nathan headed for his office.

Will turned around to see what made Nathan respond that way. Melanie walked over and Will figured she was the reason. Melanie noticed Nathan avoiding her as well. "Great! The two guys I really like seem to want to have nothing to do with me. I'm cursed."

Will gave Melanie a hug. "Nathan just needs time. That's all. I am sure eventually he will realize he would rather have you as his friend than not have you in his life at all."

"I hope you're right, Will." Melanie perked up a bit because Will managed to give her hope. She realized that this was the first time she talked to Will since she saw him kissing Sonny at the pier. "Since you're being so supportive of me, I want you to know that if you ever need to talk about what's going on in your life, I am here for you." Melanie smiled and gave Will a knowing look.

Will quickly got nervous and confused, "What do you mean? My life is fine."

Melanie put her hands on each side of Will. "I know, Will. Don't worry, your secret is safe with me. Just give me a shout and I'm there for you." Melanie gave Will a quick hug and walked away. Will began to panic about what secret Melanie knew

* * *

><p>.<p>

Chad arrived outside of the Horton House. After ringing the doorbell and waiting for a moment, Abigail finally opened the door. Chad could tell Abigail wanted to give him a hug but restrained herself. "Chad. This is a nice surprise. Come in."

Chad scratched his head as he walked into the house. "Yeah. Sami told me you stopped by to talk, so I decided I would return the favor."

Abigail looked down in shame after closing the door. "Yeah. I came over to apologize for what I did the other night. I was awful and completely wrong with how I treated you. I really am sorry that I hurt you and gave you an ultimatum. Can we please just start over?" Abigail looked up to Chad and looked in his eyes. "I really missed you."

Chad ran his finger through her hair. "I missed you, too." Chad thought about Abigail's apology and believed her as he heard the sincerity in her voice. "All is forgiven," he said with a smile.

Abigail decided that it seemed appropriate for a hug now. She closed her eyes as she rested her head on his chest. She then led him to the couch to take a seat. "So does this mean the break is over?" Chad smiled and nodded his head. Abigail was happy that she and Chad were together again. After playing with Chad's fingers for a bit, Abigail looked up to Chad. "What are you doing this weekend?"

Chad excitedly answered, "I'm going camping with Will and the other guys."

Abigail moved closer to Chad. "Oh? That sounds like fun! Is it too late for me to join?"

Chad scratched his head again as he thought about the possibility of Abigail joining them. He knew that she really wanted to go, but he also remembered making the rule that this would be a guys-only trip. "Actually, the camping trip is for guys only. No women allowed."

"Oh," Abigail let out a bit disappointed. "Well, I guess that makes sense. I'll still miss you though."

Chad moved his face towards Abigail. "I'll miss you, too." He gave her a kiss. He really liked the thought of having a girlfriend again.

* * *

><p>Sonny had just finished his shift at the pub, when Will approached him at the bar. Sonny immediately felt the frustration coming from Will as he approached him. "Will, is something wrong?"<p>

Will tried to clear his head before he outright attacked Sonny. Will wondered if Sonny had told Melanie about him being gay. "I don't know. Maybe you can tell me if something is wrong." Will paused realizing that he was not trying hard enough to keep it cool. "Melanie came up to me earlier and informed me that she knew my secret. She did not say what it was exactly, but I need to know if you said anything to her."

"No." Sonny gave Will a serious look. "I did not say anything to Melanie. You can trust me. Your secret is safe with me. It's your secret to tell. I would never do that to you." Sonny put his hand on Will's shoulder to make sure he was okay. He noticed that Will seemed relieved that he was not the one to tell Melanie, but still seemed worried. "She might be talking about something else. Just relax, Will. Don't let this stress you out."

Will tried to relax, but kept thinking about his secret coming out and ruining his life. He thought about how his family would react. He knew that part of his family was super religious. He also wondered how his friends would respond. They would treat him differently. Gabi would hate him. He thought about how Chad would respond. The possibility of Chad rejecting him and wanting nothing more to do with him scared Will.

Sonny noticed that Will was only getting more stressed about everything. He shook Will to help him snap out of the thoughts that were going through his head. "Will, stop freaking out! I am telling you right now that everything will be fine." Sonny made eye contact with Will and knew he had his attention. "Just think about the camping trip we are taking this weekend. We will be away from everything… all the stress… everything."

Will shook his head. "Yeah. You're right. I was just talking to Nathan about how much fun we are going to have." Will tried hard to put his fears in the back of his mind.

"Yeah. We are going to have so much fun." Sonny smiled at Will.

Caroline walked out and overheard Sonny and Will discussing their camping trip. She began to panic and without even thinking she walked over to Sonny and announced, "Sonny, I need you to come into work this weekend. We have to do inventory, so we are going to be pretty swamped all weekend."

Sonny's joy had been sucked from under him. "But you said I could have the weekend off when I told you about the camping trip on Tuesday."

Caroline gave Sonny a frown. "I'm sorry, but I really need you to be here. There's no way around it." Caroline walked back to her office before Sonny could say anymore.

Sonny looked back at Will with disappointment. "This sucks. I really was looking forward to this trip."

"Don't worry." Will shot back. "You are going on that trip. I'll make it happen."

* * *

><p>It was now evening in Salem. EJ and Sami were enjoying champagne in the living room at the Dimera Mansion. "Dinner was really good. I mean, it's good every night, but tonight especially." Sami smiled before drinking a bit of champagne.<p>

EJ coughed and then smiled back at Sami. "Well, I hope that as the night continues it will get even better."

Just then, Johnny walked into the living room with Sydney. Holding each other's hands, they made their way to Sami. "Hey, mommy!"

Sami turned her attention to the kids and gave them a hug. "Shouldn't you two be in bed?" she asked in a playful manner. Sami was so in tuned with the kids that she did not notice EJ leave the room. She pulled Sydney and Johnny onto her lap after putting her champagne glass on the table.

Johnny looked at the champagne glass and then back to Sami. "I love it when you and daddy dance!"

Sami laughed giving Johnny an odd look. "Where did that come from?" Suddenly she heard music coming from behind her. She pulled the kids from her lap and left them on the couch as she turned around to see a live string quartet playing Haydn's String Quartet Op. 76 No. 5.

Sami then realized EJ was not in the room. She turned to the other door as EJ walked in towards her. He put out his hand as Johnny and Sydney tried to hide their happy faces. "May I have this dance?"

Sami took EJ's hand and he pulled her up close to him. They began to dance. Sami looked at Johnny who seemed really giddy about them dancing together. Sami winked at Johnny and laughed. She looked back to EJ allowing him to move her body in whatever direction he wanted. She did not understand what this was all about but that did not matter to her as she was in the moment. She was happy with her family.

After the piece was over, the quartet began to play a different piece. Sami expected them to dance again, but EJ did not lead her into another dance. Instead he knelt down on one knee while pulling out the ring box. Opening it up, he looked into Sami's teary eyes. "Samantha, I love you. Even though we have been through hell the last few years, I can say that the one thing I have learned is that we make a better team than we do enemies. We have quite the dynamic that I believe everyone seeks in their lifetime. I consider myself lucky that I was able to find my soul mate. It's crazy to think I almost lost you, but I am glad we have this chance to do things right." EJ smiled as Sami wiped the tears of joy from her face. "Samantha Gene Brady, will you marry me?"

Sami cried and laughed as she decided how to respond. She knew she wanted to say yes, but she wanted to make things clear to EJ. "I have one condition."

EJ got a bit nervous. "A condition? What condition?"

"That I take your last name when we are married, but not in name only. I want to be a real Dimera." Sami smiled as she looked into EJ's gorgeous eyes.

Excited EJ kissed Sami's hand. "Of course. There's nothing that I would want more." EJ looked back to Sami. "So is that a yes?"

Sami began to nod her head. "Yes. Of course I'll marry you." EJ slipped the ring on Sami's finger and stood up to kiss her. Johnny and Sydney cheered as EJ and Sami began to dance again.


	20. Chapter 20 Going Camping

**Chapter 20: Going Camping – Friday, July 8th, 2011**

It was down to the wire, and Will still had yet to convince his great-grandmother to let Sonny go on the camping trip. It was early Friday, and Sami watched as Will and Sonny tried to convince her grandmother to let Sonny have the weekend off from work. "Nathan, Dario, and Chad are going as well. It wouldn't be fair to Sonny if he did not get to go."

Caroline gave Will a disgruntled look. "I'm sorry Will, but I really do need Sonny to be here this weekend. We have to do inventory."

Sonny began to give up on the idea that Will would be able to convince Caroline to change her mind. He also started to feel guilty about leaving Mrs. Brady stranded during inventory time. He attempted to stop Will from trying, but Will told him it was okay.

Will kept his attention on his great-grandmother who seemed adamant on Sonny not going with him on the camping trip. It did not make sense to him for many reasons. "What is going on here? Why are you doing inventory a week early?"

Caroline looked up at Will fearfully as she had hoped he would not notice she was doing inventory a week early. "Well, I…" Caroline knew that there was nothing she could say to stop Sonny from joining Will. "I just wanted to get a head start."

Will gave his great-grandmother a caring look. "I promise that when we get back from the camping trip I will come in when I am not busy with my internship and help you. So can Sonny go or not?"

Caroline forced a quick smile relieved that he did not push her on the real reason she wanted to do inventory a week early. "Well, I guess since you volunteered to help me when you get back, I can't say no." Caroline rested her hand on Will's cheek. "Promise me you will be careful out there."

"I will. Don't worry about me. Nathan's going. He knows what he's doing." Will smiled to reassure Caroline that everything would be okay. Will turned to Sonny. "I guess it's a good thing I talked you into packing just in case." Will smiled and rushed Sonny towards the door. "Let's go meet up with the others, so we can get out of this place."

Sami and Caroline watched as the boys ran out. Sami walked over to her grandmother. "Are you okay? You seemed really concerned about them going camping."

Caroline tried to shrug off her concerns. "I'm fine. Just don't want something to happen to them while they are out there."

"I'm sure they will be fine." Sami rested her left hand on the bar causing Caroline to notice the beautiful engagement ring on Sami's finger.

"Samantha Gene!" She looked at her in shock. "Please tell me that is not what I think it is."

Sami pulled her left hand from the bar. "I… I can't. EJ asked me to marry him last night and I said yes!"

Caroline shook her head. "Well, I am not going to lie to you and attempt to hide my disappointment. I really hope you know what you're doing."

Sami smiled at her grandmother. "I do. I am finally accepting myself."

* * *

><p>At the Dimera Mansion, Stefano walked into the living room after seeing Chad off on his camping trip. He spotted EJ looking over some paperwork at the desk. "Well, your brother is off to have fun with his friends this weekend. Maybe that is where I went wrong with you. I should have let you have friends."<p>

EJ did not look up and continued working. "I was not aware that there was something wrong with me."

Stefano moved closer to EJ. "There is and her name is Samantha."

EJ put his paperwork down and looked over to his father. "I don't want to hear it, father." EJ tried to let it go, but decided he should just have it out with him. "I'm going to make this perfectly clear to you. Samantha Brady will soon be Samantha Dimera in about a month and I promise you… she will be a force to be reckoned with." EJ took off his glasses and placed them on the table.

Stefano glared at EJ. "Are you done?"

"One more thing… My fiancé's talents will not be wasted on that office job you have her in at Dimera Enterprises. She is now one of us."

* * *

><p>At the Java Café, Abigail, Melanie, and Gabi sat at a table moping around because the guys were out of town for the weekend. "It's so not fair that the guys get to have all the fun and we're stuck here in Salem." Gabi toyed with her cup.<p>

Abigail took a sip of her coffee. "We can still have fun this weekend without them. We should have a girls' night out this weekend!"

Melanie's face lit up. "Yes please!" She turned to Gabi and thought about how Gabi needed to get out. "This will be good for you Gabi. You can meet a nice guy this weekend. You'll be our single friend who can get us free drinks from guys."

"I don't think so." Gabi did not want to think about finding a new guy as she was not ready to give up on Will. "I know that Will broke up with me, but I have hope that he will wake up and realize that we belong together. He's coming back to me and I am not giving up. I still love him."

Abigail rolled her eyes. Melanie thought about the kiss she witnessed on the pier between Sonny and Will. She felt guilty for not telling Gabi, but figured Will would tell her when he was ready. "Well, either way we can still have fun this weekend."

"Abby, is that you?" a male voice came from behind them. The girls turned around to see who it was.

Abigail immediately recognized the guy that asked the question. "Josh!" She jumped out of her seat and gave him a hug. "It's been so long!"

"I didn't even know that you were back in Salem. Last time I saw you, you were headed out of Salem with your father."

Abigail smiled. "Last time I saw you, you were still working here at the Java Café. I moved back to Salem this year and transferred to Salem U."

"It's good to see you again. I have to head out, but we should definitely catch up. Here's my card." Josh pulled out a card and handed it to Abigail.

Abigail took the card and smiled. "Sounds good. There's so much I have to tell you." She gave Josh a hug and watched him walk out.

Having witnessed the whole exchange, Melanie and Gabi were curious as to who Josh was. When Abigail rejoined them at the table, Gabi could not stop herself from sharing her thoughts. "He's hot. How do you know Josh?"

Melanie piped in. "I cannot believe he called you Abby and lived." The girls laughed.

Abigail placed the card in her purse. "Josh is an ex-boyfriend. We dated when we were in high school at Salem High. We parted ways after my parents moved to London." Abigail looked back towards the door and could not help but smile as she thought about her past with Josh. It seemed so long ago.

Just then, Gabi's cell began to ring. "I better get this. It's Mrs. Brady."

* * *

><p>At the Cheatin' Heart, Jennifer and Daniel were enjoying a game of pool. Daniel stood there leaning on his pool stick. "You know, you are definitely getting better at this."<p>

Jennifer looked up for a moment, taking a break from thinking about which ball she should go for. "Oh yeah, are you worried I'm finally going to end your winning streak?"

"I said you were getting better, not better than me of course," Daniel replied matter-of-factly.

"Oh, you better watch it mister. I can feel that this is the game where I finally bring you down." Jennifer took her shot causing one of Daniel's balls to go into a hole. Daniel looked away to hide his grin as to not further embarrass Jennifer.

As Daniel turned around, he saw Kate come through the door. He turned back to Jennifer rolling his eyes. "Great. Just what we need."

Kate walked over to Daniel and Jennifer. "Oh. Look at you two bonding over pool and alcohol at noon! You don't think it's a bit early for that?"

Jennifer scoffed at Kate. "Kate, I am not in the mood for your games."

Kate let out a playful laugh. "Games? Wow Jennifer, you really are paranoid. I'm not playing any games."

Jennifer was not impressed with Kate. "Don't try to pretend that you're all high and mighty. I think it's sick that you are wasting your time trying to break Abigail and Chad up. It's really pathetic." Jennifer watched as Kate crossed her arms. "Kate, you need to realize that all your manipulations are just going to leave you all alone. No one likes to be played."

Before Kate could respond, Daniel walked over to Kate. "Jennifer is right. Don't you ever wonder why all of your children took the first flight out of Salem when they got the chance? I know I would if I had you for a mother."

Kate hated to admit it to herself, but Daniel and Jennifer got back at her good. "I hope you both fail miserably," she shot back at them before heading out the door. Jennifer and Daniel both took a deep breath after realizing they survived a Kate attack.

* * *

><p>Lexie arrived home on her lunch break to find her husband on the phone. She put her purse down and headed over to give Abe a kiss on the cheek. As she walked over, she heard Abe mention 'Rafe Hernandez'. She stopped in her tracks and waited for Abe to hang up as the phone call seemed rather important. After Abe hung up, Lexie went over and gave Abe a kiss. "Hey honey."<p>

"Hey sweetie. I brought lunch; it's in the kitchen." Abe smiled heading toward the kitchen.

"Abe." Lexie stopped Abe from going. "Is everything okay? That phone call sounded very serious. What was it about?"

Abe turned to Lexie. "Well, apparently Rafe Hernandez has been trying to schedule a meeting with me from his prison cell. He claims he has information on the Dimeras."

"What could he possibly have on my family?" Lexie worried that her father and brother could be in trouble.

"I do not know, but if I had to guess I would say nothing. Since I've known Rafe he's always claimed to have something on the Dimeras that would bring them down, but he could never deliver. I'm not wasting anymore time on the guy just to make him feel better about himself." Abe headed towards the kitchen. "You coming?"

"Yeah. I'll be there in a second." After Abe walked into the kitchen, Lexie sighed. She was relieved that Abe decided not to take this Rafe thing serious. She wondered if she should talk to her father and EJ about this.

* * *

><p>The guys were now halfway to their destination and had just passed Salem city limits. Chad was in the driver seat while Nathan was next to him navigating. In the back, Sonny sat in the middle of Will and Dario. Chad looked back through the rearview mirror and noticed Will and Sonny talking and joking about something. "Hey, what's so funny back there?"<p>

Will and Sonny stopped laughing and turned towards the front of the car. Will made eye contact with Chad through the rearview mirror. "Oh. Nothing really. It's an inside joke."

Chad got annoyed that Will would not tell him what they were joking about. "I'm getting bored up here. I think Nathan fell asleep up here. I could use a laugh."

Nathan opened his eyes. "I had to work an early morning shift. I think I deserve the privilege of sleep right now."

Chad looked at Nathan. "Right. I'll wake you up when we get to our next point." Chad looked back into the rearview mirror. "Well, are you going to tell me what was so funny?"

Will and Sonny sat there unsure if what had made them laugh would make Chad laugh. Before they could answer, Dario chimed in, "Maybe Sonny found himself a new boy-toy."

Will immediately felt awkward wondering if Dario seriously thought that he and Sonny were an item. Sonny retorted, "Dario, you know that you'll always be my boy-toy." Chad, Sonny, and Nathan began to laugh. Will nervously joined in. Will realized he could learn a lot from Sonny. One thing he needed to learn was how to relax when people made jokes pertaining to his sexuality and not take it personally. Will watched as Dario laughed at Sonny's joke as well. He hoped that more good times were in store on their trip.


	21. Chapter 21 Pitch A Tent

**Chapter 21: Pitch A Tent – Friday, July 8th, 2011**

The guys safely arrived at the camp site and found a perfect place to put up their tent. Nathan brought a tent big enough for all the guys to share. When they pulled out the tent, Dario and Nathan began to argue on the best way to put it up. "This is my tent, so I think that I know the best way to put it up."

"I'm not debating whether or not this is your tent. I'm just saying it would be faster if we put it up my way." Dario was annoyed that Nathan did not want to listen to his idea.

Chad realized that they were never going to put the tent up as long as Nathan and Dario argued about how to do it. He turned to Will, who looked unsure about what to do as well. "Will, you decide. Whose way do we follow?"

Will did a double take when Chad told him to choose. He did not like being put on the spot like that, but he noticed that everyone looked at him to decide how the tent would go up. "I guess it would make sense to do it Nathan's way since it is his tent."

Dario began to cuss in Spanish. He tried to not let the fact that Will chose Nathan over him get him upset. He knew that his sister wanted him to play nice, but he really wanted to give Will a piece of his mind.

The guys began to put up the tent according to Nathan's instructions. Sonny realized the tension had rendered them all quiet, so he decided he needed to start the talking again. "So what are we going to do after the tent is up?"

"Well, there is a lake nearby. We can all go swimming." Will answered.

"I think hiking would be nice at some point during this weekend," Nathan added before telling everyone what to do next.

"I say we go hiking tomorrow and just relax tonight," Will suggested.

"You guys can go ahead and swim after the tent is up, but I will probably go find some firewood to build a fire." Nathan figured some time away from Dario might be good for the both of them.

Chad looked at Nathan. "I'll help you." Nathan nodded his head and smiled at Chad to show appreciation in going with him.

The guys stood back after the tent was up. "It's up! Looks nice!" Sonny walked over to Nathan and patted him on the back making Nathan feel a bit uncomfortable.

* * *

><p>Sami walked into the living room at the Dimera Mansion to find Kate having a drink by herself. Trying to avoid Kate altogether, Sami quickly turned around to leave. "Where are you going, Sami?"<p>

Sami took a deep breath and turned around to talk to Kate. "I came down here to get Johnny's crayons, but I did not see them."

"You might want to check your eyesight because they are right here." Kate picked them off of the sofa and handed them to Sami. Sami forced a smile to thank Kate. "You know… I really don't think you have what it takes to be a Dimera's wife."

Sami smirked at Kate. "Oh Kate, are you threatened by the fact that in a month I am going to be Mrs. EJ Dimera? You better pay attention because I am going to show you how it is done!"

"Looks like I came back to Salem at the right time," a voice came from the door. Kate and Sami turned around to see Lucas holding Allie. "Harold let me in."

Sami immediately went for Allie and gave her daughter a hug. "I have missed you so much. It's so good that you're here!" Kate went over and gave Lucas a hug. Sami turned to Lucas. "So how long are you in town?"

"A little more than a month. I took some time off from work because I know how much Allie missed her family here." Lucas smiled at his daughter as he knew she was happy about taking a vacation to Salem. Allie nodded with a smile.

"Well, Will has gone camping for the weekend, but Johnny and Sydney are upstairs." Sami turned her attention to Allie and made a silly face. "You want to go see your brother and sister upstairs. They're coloring!" Allie nodded her head.

"I can take her upstairs. I think it would be good if the two of you talked." Kate took Allie and the crayons from Sami and headed upstairs with her granddaughter.

Sami could not help but smile at the thought that Allie was home. Lucas crossed over to the other side of Sami. "So I heard the news. Am I supposed to congratulate you on your engagement?"

Sami glared at Lucas knowing he was being sarcastic. "Oh… we are already at this point in your visit back to Salem. Let's talk about how all my decisions are hurting my children. You know, I really don't want to get into this right now."

Lucas crossed his arms. "Well, they are. I've been told that Will hasn't been doing so well recently. Should I be worried?"

"For the record, Will gave his blessing for my engagement to EJ." Sami smiled.

"That doesn't answer my question. Is Will okay?"

"Yeah." Sami said in calm voice. She did not want Lucas to know that she only half believed Will was okay. She had noticed he seemed to be better, but questioned if that was all a front. "He's fine."

* * *

><p>Gabi walked over to Abigail and Melanie and handed them their drinks. "One coke and one water with lemon. Can I get you anything else?"<p>

"Not right now." Melanie smiled at Gabi, who seemed upset.

"It's so annoying that I got called into work because I have to cover Sonny's shifts now since he went camping. Did you know that Will had to beg Mrs. Brady to let Sonny go?"

Hearing Sonny's and Will's names together made Melanie think about the kiss she witnessed on the pier. The guilt was really starting to eat at her, but she knew that she promised Will she would keep his secret safe.

Abigail tried to make Gabi feel better. "Don't worry, Gabi. Tomorrow we will make up for it with our girl time." Gabi smiled and walked away to another table to take the customer's order.

Caroline walked out from the back and noticed Adrienne walk in. Adrienne spotted Caroline and rushed over to talk to her in private. "Hey Caroline, I was hoping that I could have a moment of your time to talk about my son."

Caroline did not want to talk about Sonny. "Well, I am a bit busy at the moment. Maybe we can talk later."

Adrienne was not going to take no for an answer. "Caroline, I know what you said about my boy. What you said about Sonny was homophobic and extremely rude."

Caroline turned back to Adrienne. "I'm sorry that we have to have this talk, but I will not apologize for what I said because being gay is wrong as it is a sin!" Caroline placed her hands on her hips. "You should be ashamed of yourself as a mother for allowing your son to live like that. Do you have any idea the disservice you're doing to Sonny by telling him being gay is okay?"

Adrienne was taken back by Caroline's incredibly nasty comments. She had hoped that they would have a peaceful discussion about it. "You know what? I am done trying to play nice and make this work because it's clear to me now that it won't. There's no way in hell I am going to allow my son to work in this type of environment." Adrienne turned around and stormed out of the pub.

Caroline adjusted her sleeves. "Fine by me."

* * *

><p>Will and Dario sat on a small cliff to allow their feet to dangle into the lake. They were both shirtless, but had on swim trunks. Will had on blue trunks while Dario had on yellow. Dario decided to seize this moment alone to talk to Will as Sonny decided to help Nathan and Chad look for firewood. "I hate what you did to my sister," Dario admitted.<p>

Will did not know how to respond at first, but knew that they needed to talk this out if they were going to have fun this weekend. "I know. It sucks. I'm hoping that some time and perspective will help make things better."

Dario shook his head. "It's hard being mad at you Will. Like I said, I hate you for what you did, but I know that you would not intentionally hurt my sister, so I think you are just doing what you think is best."

"Yeah. I wish there was a pain-free way to go about this." Will felt better knowing that Dario felt he did the right thing.

"You know she still loves you right?" Dario looked down at his feet in the water. "She's hurting big time and wants to talk to you about it, but she's too afraid to come to you herself. She thinks it will make it easier for you if she stays away even though it hurts her even more." Dario gave Will a quick glance. Will started to feel really guilty. Dario heard someone coming behind them. He turned and saw Sonny. "I'm getting in the water." Dario dropped into the lake and swam towards the middle of the lake.

Will watched as Sonny walked closer in a shirt and orange swim trunks. Sonny started to take off his shirt causing Will to watch closely. Sonny finally arrived next to Will as he finished taking off his shirt. Will could not keep his eyes off of Sonny's body. Sonny caught Will checking him out. Taking a seat next to him, he playfully pushed Will to the side. "I caught you, mister. You may like what you see, but you should keep your eyes on the prize!"

A bit embarrassed, Will looked back at Sonny. "Prize. What prize are you talking about?" Will noticed that Sonny was now staring at Dario. "Dario?"

Sonny looked back at Will and laughed. "No. The prize is the one that you really want. Chad is who you want. Not me." Sonny winked at Will.

Will looked down. "Well, unfortunately I'll never have Chad. He's straight. Trust me, I know." Will thought about Mia and how they had Grace. He also figured that Abigail and Chad were sleeping together. He knew both of them were not virgins.

Sonny noticed that thinking about Chad depressed Will. He figured that either way he talked about Chad, Will would only feel worse about it because he knew what it felt like to fall in love with a straight guy. "It makes you sick to your stomach, huh?" Will nodded. "Well, let's not talk about Chad. Maybe you should start thinking about how you're going to tell your family and friends?"

Will became apprehensive at the thought of coming out. "I don't think I am ready for that yet. I still have to get used to this I guess."

Sonny smiled while placing his arm around Will pulling him closer. "No rush. Just do what you're comfortable with." Sonny removed his arm from Will and smiled. Will smiled thankful that he had Sonny to help him through all of this. He was learning a lot from Sonny on this trip.

"Hey!" Dario shouted. "Are you guys going to swim or not? It's getting kind of lonely out here by myself."

"Of course!" Sonny shouted back. He looked at Will and smiled. They got up and jumped in.

* * *

><p>Chad and Nathan stood back and looked at the camp fire they just started. "Looks awesome. Will was right… you do know what you're doing out here." Chad patted Nathan on the back. "Will also told me that you weren't sure if you should come or not."<p>

Nathan poked the fire a bit with a long stick. "Yeah. I guess I did not know how things were going to play out with Dario here. Melanie decided that she wants to be with him." Nathan frowned as he thought about the situation. "I'm still in love with Melanie," Nathan admitted, "and I believe Melanie still loves me. I think she's just afraid to be in a relationship with me, so…"

"So what?" Chad asked.

"I don't know. I really don't understand it all."

"Don't worry man. Things will work out in your favor. Maybe you will meet someone else." Chad smiled at Nathan. "You know, girls are so confusing sometimes and so complicated!" Nathan smiled and agreed. "I'm happy that Abigail and I were able to smooth things over, but sometimes it's hard picturing a future with her. I mean, even when I was dating Mia, I could see a future with her, but not with Abigail."

Nathan gave Chad a strange look. "You do like Abigail, right?"

Chad realized he made a mistake talking about Abigail like that to her cousin. "Yeah, I do. I just hope that things work out between us." Chad looked at the fire. "I'm going to head over to the lake. You coming?"

Nathan walked over to a cooler. "I might later. I think I should start cooking dinner." Nathan pulled out some steaks.

Chad smiled. "I appreciate you stepping up like that, but I hope you're not avoiding the lake because Dario is there. You deserve to have some fun as well."

Nathan faked a smile. "Nah… I am fine. I love cooking in the wild! It's fun to me. Don't worry… I'm not avoiding anything."

"Okay then. I'll see you in a bit then." Chad grabbed a towel and headed for the lake.

* * *

><p>Back at the lake, Will began to splash water onto Dario and Sonny who were wrestling in the water. Will stopped for a moment when he noticed Chad taking off his shirt to join them. Will tried to make it less obvious this time that he was checking Chad out. Sonny had caught him earlier, but he could be more upfront about it with Sonny. If Chad caught him, Will did not know how Chad would respond.<p>

Chad looked up at the sky and noticed that the sun was now hiding behind a few clouds. He got into the lake and swam his way to the others. "Water feels nice."

Dario and Sonny stopped wrestling. Dario got an idea. "Hey, we should play chicken since we have the four of us here."

Sonny smiled and swam closer to the shallow end. "I'm on your team Dario. Will and Chad can be on the other team." The other guys joined Sonny. Sonny bent down so that Dario could get on his shoulders. "I'll be on the bottom. You can be on top."

Will and Chad looked at each other. Will felt a bit uncomfortable, but told himself that he needed to get over it as they were only playing a game. "I'll carry you on my shoulders." Chad approached Will and knelt down so that Will could climb on. Once Will climbed on Chad's shoulders, Chad stood up. "You ready, Will." Will declared he was ready.

Sonny stood up holding Dario on his shoulders. Dario gave Will a threatening look. "You're going down! The both of you! Team Dario and Sonny will bring down Team Chad and Will for my sister!" Sonny began to laugh. "Let's get this show on the road!"

Chad looked up at Will. "I got you, Will. Trust me." Will nodded his head.

The four guys got closer to each other. Dario grabbed Will's shoulders and started to pull him down. Will fought back and grabbed Dario's arms to put the pressure on him. "You're going down, Will Horton!" Dario and Will began to grunt as they continued to bring the other down. Sonny and Chad got in on the action by screaming at each other and using their strength to bring the other team down. Unfortunately for Will, Dario got the upper hand and made Will fall off of Chad. Dario immediately raised his hands in victory! "Yeah! Take that!" Sonny helped Dario down and they gave each other a high-five.

After Will fell into the water, Chad grabbed Will and pulled him back up close to him. "Sorry, I let you go, but I still have you." Will looked into Chad's eyes and could not help but smile. It felt good to be in Chad's arms. Not letting Will go, Chad turned to the others, "We want a rematch!" Sonny and Dario agreed. Releasing Will from his grasp, Chad knelt down again to let Will climb on top of him, but Will froze. "What is it?" Chad asked looking up at Will.

Will realized that when Chad held him, he became aroused and if he tried to climb on Chad's shoulders now, Chad would feel Will's boner on his head. "Maybe we should switch this time. I'll be on bottom and you can be on top!" Will hoped that Chad would agree.

Chad stood back up. "Do you guys want to switch out who is on top?"

Dario looked at Sonny. "That works for me."

Sonny grabbed Dario's arms and made him flex. "I think you're strong enough to hold me." Dario knelt down so that Sonny could climb on. Will did the same for Chad.

As soon as Will stood up with Chad on his shoulders, Chad did not waste any time to let Sonny and Dario know who he thought would win. "You're going down Sonny!"

"I'm not worried, Chad! I don't quit. I'll keep attacking you until I win!" Sonny shot back.

"Oh, you might put up a good fight, but in the end I get what I want!" Chad and Sonny immediately grabbed each other to force the other down. Will looked up at the two struggling and wondered who would win.


	22. Chapter 22 The Storm

**Chapter 22: The Storm – Friday, July 8th, 2011**

The guys were now eating dinner around the camp fire. Nathan took a seat next to Will after putting the cooler with food back in the car. He smiled, "It's nice being one with nature – away from all the stresses of city life." All of the guys agreed.

"We should do this more often!" Sonny really loved being outdoors as much as possible. He was glad to find guys who enjoyed it as well.

After taking a bite, Dario looked at Nathan. "I have to give it to you Nathan, this food is actually pretty good."

"Hear! Hear!" Will raised his bottle of water to Nathan.

Chad stood up placing his plate down. "I know something that will make this meal even better!" Chad opened up a cooler and began to pass out bottles of beer to everyone.

When Chad passed Will a beer, Will looked at it awkwardly. "Sonny and I are under age."

"So?" Dario let out. "Do you see any cops around?"

Nathan put his hand on Will's shoulder. "We're not going to tell anyone. Just don't go crazy."

"I'm game." Sonny winked at Will and took a drink. Will decided to relax and drink as well.

* * *

><p>After her shift, Lexie headed straight to the Dimera Mansion to talk to EJ and Stefano. EJ led her into the living room and offered her a drink. "No, thanks. Where's father?"<p>

"I believe he and Kate are staying the night in the yacht. Did you need to talk to him?" EJ poured himself a drink.

"No, I don't want to interrupt their evening. I guess I can just tell you about it." Lexie looked around as she crossed her arms.

"About what?" EJ took a sip.

"I met with Abe for lunch today and overheard him talking about Rafe Hernandez on the phone. When I asked him about it, Abe told me that Rafe has tried to set up a meeting with him to talk about some intel that he supposedly has on you and father. Do you want to tell me what is going on?"

EJ began to feel concerned. "Wait. What does Abe think about all of this?"

"He's not going to do anything because he doesn't trust Rafe at all. So right now you have nothing to worry about." Lexie paused for a second to try to read her brother. "So there is something to worry about?"

"Lexie, you know I cannot answer that question." EJ wondered what Rafe was trying to pull.

Lexie hated that answer, but she understood it. "I really wish that the family business would move away from the illegal side of things." Lexie looked over at the time. "I should probably head home so I can tell Theo goodnight before bed."

"Tell him goodnight for me." EJ smiled at Lexie trying to lighten the mood.

"Promise me you'll be careful." Lexie gave EJ a hug.

"Of course."

* * *

><p>Jennifer and Daniel were enjoying a quiet evening at the Horton House. Jennifer began to laugh. "Don't you think it's silly that we have been sitting here talking about work when we agreed earlier that we would avoid all talk about work."<p>

"Yeah, we kind of fell short there." Daniel looked up thinking about everything they had discussed. The doorbell rang.

"I wonder who that could be." Jennifer and Daniel got off the couch and headed to the door. When Jennifer opened the door, she and Daniel were surprised to see Lucas on the other side of the door. "Lucas. I had no idea you were in town."

Lucas was surprised to see Daniel there. "Yeah. I decided to bring Allie to Salem for a mini-vacation. I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

Daniel did not trust Lucas. "Oh, I'm sure you came here with good intentions. Nothing to do with the fact that your sister is dating the man who used to be married to your fiancé, right? Did your mother put you up to this?" His tone was rather sarcastic.

Jennifer hit Daniel in the gut to make him stop talking. Lucas took a step back. "I just came by to tell my sister that I was in town." He turned to Jennifer. "I was hoping that we could talk."

Jennifer nodded her head. "How about we grab lunch or something. I'll give you a call tomorrow."

"Sounds good. I'll let you two get back to whatever you were doing. Have a good night." Lucas avoided any eye contact with Daniel.

Jennifer gave Lucas a hug and said goodnight. After closing the door, she told Daniel his big mouth put him in the doghouse tonight.

* * *

><p>Back at the camp site all the guys had a buzz from drinking a few beers. Communication started to decrease and the night seemed to be over until Sonny threw out an idea to keep the night going. "We should play a game. We should play truth or dare!"<p>

The guys started to laugh. "I haven't played that game in forever," Nathan admitted. "So who goes first?"

"I'll go first," Dario volunteered. He turned to Chad. "Truth or Dare?"

"Truth," Chad answered. Nathan rolled his eyes at Chad for choosing truth.

Dario thought about what to ask Chad and decided to just ask him the first question that came to his mind. "Have you and Abigail had sex?"

"No." Chad looked down feeling a bit awkward.

Chad's answer surprised Will. Will thought that Chad and Abigail were sleeping together already. The guys continued to pick truth for a few rounds, until Sonny decided to ask Nathan to choose. "Nathan, truth or dare?"

"I guess I will be the first brave one. I pick dare." Nathan was a bit nervous about putting his life in Sonny's hands.

All the guys started to shout because of Nathan's braveness. Sonny rubbed his hands together trying to think of a good dare. It had to be a good one. "I dare you to streak naked around the tent!"

Dario, Chad, and Will turned to Nathan to see how he would respond. Nathan got up making everyone think he would go for it. He stretched out his arms and let out a yawn. "I think I am going to call it a night. I am a bit tired." Nathan felt a bit awkward about stripping in front of Sonny. He thought Sonny would get too much pleasure from it, so he did not care that the guys booed his decision to go to bed.

After Nathan headed into the tent, Will sensed that Sonny felt awkward due to Nathan's response. "You should ask someone else since Nathan chickened out."

"I'll do it." Chad stood up and began to remove his clothes. "A dare is a dare and someone has to do it."

"You don't have to Chad. We can do a different one." Will watched as Chad took his shirt.

"Will you hold my clothes? I don't want to get dirt in them." Chad threw his shirt at Will to hold and pulled off his swim trunks revealing everything to Will, Sonny, and Dario. Will had seen a glimpse of Chad's naked body before at the gym, but the way the camp fire lit Chad's naked body made Will's heart beat even faster. Chad threw his shorts at Will and ran around the tent a few times as the guys laughed.

Chad came back around and stood in front of Will holding his junk with his two hands. "Wow… it's kind of cold and windy. Pass me my shorts!" Will began to fumble around with Chad's clothes as he couldn't keep his eyes off Chad's body. "Will, are you okay?"

Thunder sounded causing the guys to look up. "Dang it. I had a feeling a storm would come in," Dario said as he looked at the dark clouds above them. "No star gazing tonight."

Will handed the clothes to Chad. Chad quickly put them on and took a seat next to Will. "Well it's not raining yet. I say we keep playing. Things just got interesting." Chad turned to Will. "Will, truth or dare?"

"Truth," Will spit out still excited about Chad's naked run.

Chad scratched his head as he asked Will, "Did you enjoy my naked run as much as Sonny did?"

Will looked at Sonny and froze for a second unsure how to answer the question. He did enjoy it and he knew he could not lie. Will thought about how Sonny would respond and looked back to Chad. "Of course I did," Will admitted adding a laugh. Dario and Chad laughed it off as they thought Will was only joking, but Sonny knew better. To keep the game going, Will turned to Dario. "Truth or dare, Dario?"

Dario did not feel like taking a risk. "Truth."

Will hated when someone picked truth because he could never really think of a good question to ask. As Will thought about it, he realized he was not good at making up dares as well. "Uh… Have you slept with anyone since you've been in Salem?"

Dario took a moment before answering. "Yes." Dario shook his head from side to side and smiled thinking about it.

Chad jumped up, "Who? Wait… you and Melanie just got together. Did you guys sleep together last night?"

"That was not the question, so I don't have to answer that." Dario looked at Sonny and noticed that Sonny seemed upset. Sonny noticed Dario staring at him and forced a smile. "Sonny… Truth or Dare?"

"Dare." Sonny hoped that Dario's dare would be a good one.

Dario looked back at the tent and then back at Sonny. "I dare you to cuddle with Nathan in the tent."

Chad and Will looked at Sonny. Sonny stood up, "Is that really what you want me to do?" Dario shook his head. Even though Sonny did not want to complete the dare, as it would most likely make Nathan even more uncomfortable, he decided he needed to for his own personal reason. "Fine… too easy." Sonny knew he could not back off on a dare. Sonny walked into the tent with the other guys following him. Nathan was asleep in his sleeping bag. Sonny got down next to Nathan and put his arm around his chest.

Nathan stirred and opened his eyes. Once he realized that Sonny was cuddling with him, Nathan jumped up and out of his sleeping bag. "What the hell are you doing?" Nathan crossed his arms around his naked chest as the other guys started to laugh.

Sonny stood up and checked Nathan out. "Wow. You must hit the gym hard."

Not amused, Nathan snapped back, "Anyone going to tell me what the hell is going on?"

Will walked over to Nathan and placed his hand on his back. "Sorry. Dario dared Sonny to do it. We'll just go back out there, continue our game, and leave you alone."

"I would appreciate that." Nathan continued to cover his body with his arms, so that Sonny would stop staring. Clearly upset, Nathan announced, "One rule. No homo stuff in the tent." The guys quickly agreed to appease Nathan. Nathan got back in his sleeping bag as the other guys went back to the camp fire.

Dario sat down, "I did not think Nathan would react that way." Dario looked to Sonny, "Are you okay, man?" Sonny nodded his head not wanting the attention on him.

"Let's keep this game going!" Chad did not want the fun to die because of what happened. "Sonny, pick someone."

"I think you should pick Chad because he's so into this game." Will poked Chad on his side causing him to squirm.

Sonny smiled as he watched Will and Chad. "Chad, truth or dare?"

Chad knew which one he had to go with. "I pick dare."

Sonny hoped Chad would pick dare because he already had one in mind when he noticed the moment between Will and Chad. "I dare you to kiss Will.

Will gave Sonny a fearful look as if to ask him what he was thinking. He turned back to Chad. "Chad, you don't have to do it."

"Oh come on! It's not like you two haven't kissed before. Anyone else remember when Chad did CPR on Will?" Dario joked.

Chad scooted closer to Will. "We have to do it. Sonny dared me to do it, and I have never backed out on a dare."

"It's not happening, Chad. I don't feel comfortable kissing another guy." Will looked at Sonny full of shame as he was chickening out on his chance to kiss Chad and denying who he knew he was.

Sonny felt bad for putting Will in this position. He thought he was doing Will a favor, but realized that maybe he was pushing Will too much. "I take the dare back. You guys don't have to do it."

Chad held his hand up to stop Sonny from talking, but kept his attention on Will. Using a calm tone, Chad said, "You don't have to be such a homophobe. It's just a game, Will. It doesn't have to mean anything." Will took a deep breath and looked in Chad's eyes. "We'll just get it over with so we can move on with the game."

"Okay." Will looked at Chad's soft lips. "Let's just get it over with."

Chad moved in closer to Will. Will's heart began to beat faster and faster. Will wondered if he was going to be able to stop himself from wanting more from Chad. He hoped he would be able to control his urges of wanting the kiss to last forever.

Suddenly rain began to pour, and Will immediately moved away from Chad. "We should head for the tent before we're soaked!" Will, Chad, Dario, and Sonny ran into the tent. The game was over.

* * *

><p>Henderson showed Caroline into the living room at the Kiriakis Mansion. Justin and Adrienne sat in the living room surprised that Caroline decided to show her face after her confrontation with Adrienne earlier. Caroline immediately walked over to them. "I came to apologize for the way I came across to you earlier Adrienne. My attitude was extremely rude."<p>

Justin and Adrienne stood up in shock to Caroline's apology. "Well, I am glad that you have come around to accepting homosexuality." Justin knew Adrienne still wanted to give Caroline a piece of her mind, but decided that if he set the mood they could have a peaceful conversation.

Caroline began to shake her head. "I did not mean to imply I accept homosexuality. I came by to tell you that the way I went about telling you my beliefs was wrong. I'll admit that I am very uncomfortable when it comes to that lifestyle and I don't understand why anyone would choose to live that way. I am afraid that since Sonny has decided to be gay, it might give others the wrong impression. I want Sonny to stay away from Will."

"Caroline, I think you don't understand what it means to be gay at all. It is not a disease. A person doesn't necessarily choose to be gay… a person is born gay!" Adrienne did not understand how Caroline could assume that Sonny could make others gay.

"It may not be a disease, but homosexuality is a sin," Caroline informed Adrienne and Justin.

"I concur," Victor claimed as he walked into the room. "Now, can anyone explain to me why all of you are discussing the travesty that is homosexuality in my living room?" Justin and Adrienne looked at each other not wanting to explain to him what was going on. "Did I miss something?"

Justin stepped over to his uncle. "It was nothing. We were…"

"Oh my gosh… Victor, you don't know," Caroline interrupted Justin.

"Know what?" Victor was clearly starting to get annoyed.

"Your great-nephew, Sonny is gay," Caroline shared with Victor.

Adrienne immediately got into Caroline's face. "You had no right to share that with Victor! Do you have any decency or respect?" Justin held Adrienne back.

"Apparently she does because my family has kept secrets from me. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to tend to a few things. My evening has just been ruined." Victor left the room and headed upstairs.

Adrienne glared at Caroline for what she did. Justin stood between them and shook his head at Caroline. "I think you should leave. You've done a lot of damage tonight."

Caroline agreed. "Just remember to keep your son away from Will." Caroline left.

* * *

><p>The rain continued to pour hard as the guys were all asleep in the tent. Will woke up after he rolled onto the other side of his sleeping bag realizing that it was soaked. Will tried to roll back to the other side not understanding why his sleeping bag was wet. He tried to sleep on his side, but the rest of the sleeping bag continued to get wet. He finally got out of it and realized that water had made its way under the tent where he was. Will looked around annoyed. He checked his shorts and boxer briefs. Thankfully they were still dry. Unfortunately, his pillow was soaked as well.<p>

"Will, what's wrong?" Will heard a voice come from the darkness. He recognized it as Chad's voice.

Will bent down to where he believed Chad to be. Once he was close enough, he could see Chad's face in the dark. He whispered back, "Water got under the tent on my side and now my sleeping bag is soaked. I don't have a place to sleep now."

"Mine is dry." Chad unzipped his sleeping bag open. "I have room for two. Stefano bought me this sleeping bag and claimed it had extra room and was a state of the art sleeping bag. It's so comfortable!" Chad made room for Will to get in.

"Are you sure? I don't want to make you uncomfortable just because I have no place to sleep." Will tried to hide his nerves about the whole situation.

"Will, just get in here. I wouldn't have asked you if I did not mind." Chad grabbed Will and pulled him into the sleeping bag with him. Will could feel his skin touching Chad's skin. Chad then zipped up the sleeping bag. Will laid straight on his back trying to avoid too much contact when Chad's arm arrived over him to finish zipping the sleeping bag up. "See… it's huge. Room for two." Chad laid down on his back as well.

"Thanks. I really do appreciate it." Will laid his head down on Chad's pillow.

Chad yawned and turned his head towards Will. "You know… you really confuse me sometimes. You seem to be this really big homophobe, but you seem to be best friends with Sonny. One would think that you would try to avoid Sonny altogether."

Will turned on his side to face Chad. "It's not that I am homophobic… I guess I am afraid of what other people might think if they saw me… you know…" Will could not finish his sentence.

"I get that… but you should feel safe when you're with friends." Chad yawned again.

"Yeah." Will turned over on his back and thought about how he should feel more comfortable with his friends and just be himself.

Chad turned his face up towards the sky. "It's too bad Nathan made that rule about no homo stuff in the tent or I would kiss you right now."

Will's heart started to beat fast. He did not understand why Chad would want to kiss him. "What?" Will let out almost choking on the word.

"Yeah. I told you, I never back down on a dare. I still owe you a kiss from Sonny's dare," Chad said as he closed his eyes.

Right." Will let out disappointed. "We'll just have to get it over with tomorrow then." Chad mumbled back at Will. Will began to think about kissing Chad and remembered what it felt like when he accidentally kissed Chad at the beach party. He knew that another kiss would only make him want more with Chad. "There's something I need to… I need to tell you, Chad." Will let out and took a deep breath. "There's a reason why I get uncomfortable with the acting gay… it's because... I am gay. And to be honest, I really like you… like a lot… probably more than I should. I'm sorry."

Will sat there in silence trying not to freak out about his admission to Chad. His heart was beating fast and hard. He could not believe that he had come clean and felt really uncomfortable about it. Chad's silence made him feel even more uncomfortable. He quickly regretted telling Chad. "Could you please say something? … Chad?" Will pulled his body up with his arms and looked over towards Chad. He could hear him breathing deeply. "Chad?"

Will laid back down realizing that Chad had fallen asleep and had not heard any of his confession. It frustrated Will, but then he felt relief come over him. He questioned why he even told Chad at all. What was he thinking? Chad would look at him completely different and treat him differently. He did not want to lose what he had with Chad now. He did not want to lose his respect. Will moved onto his side with his back facing Chad. He felt Chad move behind him. Suddenly, Chad's arm fell over Will's body. Will smiled at how close he and Chad were now. He knew that if Chad had heard his confession, Will would not have been able to enjoy this moment now. Will closed his eyes.


	23. Chapter 23 Building

**Chapter 23: Building – Saturday, July 9th, 2011**

The next morning, Sonny and Dario stood in the tent looking at Chad and Will sleeping and cuddling in Chad's sleeping bag. Dario gave Sonny a strange look. "Is there something going on that I should know about?"

Sonny shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. I'm as surprised as you are." He wanted to downplay knowing anything about Will being gay, but also wondered if Will got the courage to tell Chad how he felt.

Dario went over to Will's sleep bag and when he lifted it, he realized why Will had joined Chad in his sleeping bag. "Will's sleeping bag is soaked. That's probably why he's in there with Chad. For a second there, I thought I was surrounded by…" Dario stopped himself before saying anything else. "Sorry." Dario took Will's sleeping bag and headed out the tent. "I'll hang this up so it can dry. We might have to move the tent, so that the same thing doesn't happen tonight." Sonny followed Dario out of the tent after yelling at Will and Chad to wake up.

Will and Chad began to stir and were surprised when they opened their eyes to find that they were holding each other. They quickly separated. "Sorry," Will let out before unzipping the sleeping bag.

"Uh… yeah… I guess you're a cuddler like me." Chad felt a bit awkward. He began to scratch his head as he sat up in the sleeping bag.

Will sat up and adjusted himself. Trying not to make it obvious to Chad, he asked, "So how did you sleep?"

Chad faced Will and gave a nervous smile. "As awkward as 'this' is," Chad started pointing to Will and himself, "I probably got the best sleep in my life."

Will's heart skipped a beat when Chad admitted that. "Yeah… me, too." Will stood up after he finished adjusting himself.

Chad smiled back feeling a bit relieved that Will had the same experience as him. "Good to know." Chad winked at Will. "You know you're getting better about your homophobia," Chad joked still sitting in his sleeping bag.

Sonny popped his head into the tent. "Nathan's almost done with breakfast. You two better get out here while it's fresh." Sonny left to head back to the camp fire.

Will noticed that Chad did not want to get out of the sleeping bag yet. "Is something wrong?"

Chad nervously smiled again. "I'm waiting…" Chad did not want Will to know that he still had major morning wood.

Will was about to ask Chad what he was waiting on, but realized that Chad had morning wood. "Oh… You could just do the same thing I do." Will put his hands on his shorts. "I do the underwear tuck to hide it. It seems to be working for me right now." Will smiled a bit embarrassed that he shared his secret with Chad.

Chad stood up turning his back to Will. He tried what Will recommended and turned around. Looking down, Chad smiled, "Hey… it does work. How did I not know about that before?"

Will shrugged his shoulders and smiled. "Who knows?" Will put on a shirt.

"Thanks man." Chad gave Will a high-five and found a shirt to put on. They both laughed and headed out to eat breakfast.

* * *

><p>At the Dimera Mansion, Sami and EJ were discussing what needed to be done to plan the wedding. EJ put his hands on Sami's shoulders. "I don't think you should do this alone. You should hire a wedding planner so she can just do what you tell her." EJ had a concerned look on his face.<p>

"A wedding planner? Are you serious?" Sami gave EJ a questioning look. "Do you know how many weddings I have been a part of let alone been in? I could be a wedding planner myself," Sami joked. "Don't worry, EJ. I have all of this under control. I've got it covered."

"Whatever you think is best." EJ smiled at his fiancé.

"Good." She gave EJ a kiss. "I have to go talk to my grandmother about something, but I will be back later." EJ gave Sami another kiss before Sami headed out.

Stefano walked in before she could leave. "Where are you headed, Samantha?"

Sami stopped and gave Stefano a smile. "I'm one step closer to becoming Samantha Dimera."

After watching her leave, Stefano walked over to his son. "She's in a good mood."

"Well, father, that's because good things are happening," EJ admitted with a concerned look still on his face.

Stefano studied his son's face. "If good things are happening, then why does your facial expression say otherwise?" Stefano watched as EJ forced a smile. "What are you not telling me, Elvis?"

EJ sighed. "Lexie came over last night to inform me that Rafe has tried to get in contact with Abe to set up a meeting."

Stefano hit the desk with his fist. "The nerve of that man!"

* * *

><p>Abigail was reading blogs on a laptop at Dot Com, when Kinsey and T walked in. Abigail looked up and smiled when she saw them. "Hey guys! Where have you been?"<p>

Kinsey and T walked over next to Abigail. "We got back last night from T's family summer vacation. We went on a cruise. So much fun!"

Abigail noted that Kinsey and T were a bit darker. "Looks like you guys got a nice tan."

T looked around and back to Abigail. "Where's Chad?"

Abigail leaned back in her chair. "He went camping with Will and some other guys. It's too bad you did not get back earlier. You probably could have gone."

"That's probably why we couldn't get a hold of Will… probably no reception where he is." Kinsey patted T on the shoulder and then turned back to Abigail. "So do you have any big plans tonight?"

Abigail leaned forward and rested her arms on the table. "Actually, Melanie, Gabi, and I decided to have a girls' night tonight. I think we are going to Club Dune. You should come!"

Kinsey gave Abigail a puzzled look. "How are Gabi and I supposed to get in? We're only eighteen?"

Abigail smiled. "We're still working on that."

"I can get us in," T announced. "My dad knows the owner. All I have to do is show my face and they will let me in. If I vouch for Gabi and Kinsey, they should get in as well."

Kinsey looked at T, "But you're not a girl..." Kinsey looked T up and down. "unless you're some kind of magician that can make male genitalia appear on your body when you're with me."

"T.M.I., Kinsey!" Abigail tried to shake the image of T and Kinsey together. She turned to T. "I was going to invite you to come along anyway since the guys ditched you this weekend while they are on their trek. I won't be like them, so you're more than welcome to join us if you want."

"Sounds like we are going to have fun tonight." T smiled.

* * *

><p>At the Kiriakis Mansion, Justin was about to head to his office when Victor stopped him. "Justin, I need to have a word with you."<p>

"What is it? Do you need legal advice?"

"No. Not right now. I wanted to talk to you about Sonny." Victor gave his nephew a stern look.

"What about Sonny?" Justin already knew the answer to his question but figured he should not assume anything.

"I think it is tragic that you are allowing Sonny to live his life this way. Can't you see that letting him make his own decisions is only hurting him?" Victor continued to give Justin a stern look.

Justin shook his head at his uncle. "What exactly are you implying?"

"Man up and deal with your son before I have to step in and do something!"

Justin was not in the mood. "I have to go. I really don't want to talk to you about this right now." Justin opened to door to leave.

"One more thing. I was able to get Sonny an internship at the hospital since he is no longer working at the Brady Pub. He starts Monday."

Justin lifted his hand as a thanks to Victor and left.

* * *

><p>Working a shift at the Brady Pub, Gabi walked over to Lucas and Kate with their food. "Here you are Mrs. Dimera and Mr. Horton." She placed their food carefully in front of them. "Can I get you anything else? A refill?" Gabi felt a bit nervous about serving Will's father and grandmother.<p>

Kate flipped her hair back. "Actually, could you take a seat? We were wanting to talk to you about something." Lucas smiled at Gabi after scooting another chair out for her to take a seat.

"Sure," Gabi replied taking a seat at their table. She felt she did not have a choice. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

Lucas leaned in on the table making eye contact with Gabi. "Well, I just got back into Salem yesterday, and since Will is out-of-town, I do not know how he is doing. Do you?"

Gabi moved her hair behind her ear starting to feel some pressure on giving them the right answer. She did not like the position she was in since she really did not know Lucas all that well. "Will is fine."

"Now Gabi," Kate started. "I think we all know that Will is not fine. We are all a bit concerned about him and since you're his girlfriend, we were wondering if you noticed anything strange about Will." Kate knew that Will and Gabi had broken up, but she wanted to bait Gabi to talk about the break up.

"The truth is I am worried about Will," Gabi confessed. "He's really stressed about something, but he won't talk to anyone about it. Will broke up with me last weekend, but I don't think he was in his right mind. I think he still wants to be with me, but he's afraid that he might hurt me in the process because he is hurting." Gabi looked at Lucas and Kate to see how they would respond to what she knew.

"And you don't know what he's stressed and feeling bad about?" Lucas asked.

"No. He would not tell me when I asked. I think he might be cutting everyone out." Gabi felt more worried for Will as she talked about him.

"Thanks, Gabi for letting us know what you know. Can you please get me a refill?" Kate smiled at Gabi to dismiss her from the table.

Gabi stood up. "Yeah… sure." Gabi wondered what just happened. She wondered if she betrayed Will's trust by talking to his father and grandmother about him.

After Gabi left, Kate looked back to her son. "We need to figure out what is depressing Will so much. He's clearly keeping a secret."

While Gabi was refilling Kate's drink, Sami sat at the bar talking to Caroline, who was standing on the other side. "So I came here to talk to you about meeting with Father Matt about having my wedding at St. Luke's. I was hoping you could come with me when I meet with him since you know him so well."

Caroline wiped a glass avoiding eye contact with Sami. "Yeah. Sure. When are we meeting with him?"

Sami gave Caroline a strange look. "I… tomorrow after mass." Sami struggled with how fast Caroline agreed to go with her. "You know… I expected you to put up a fight when I came here to talk to you about helping me with my wedding. Not that I am complaining, but I thought you were upset about me marrying EJ."

Caroline watched Gabi walk away. She looked Sami straight in the eyes and replied rather directly, "Sami, there are more important things to worry about than you shacking up with a Dimera."

Sami became concerned. "Grandma, is something wrong?"

Caroline shook her head. "Will has become friends with a bad guy."

Thinking that Caroline was referring to Chad, Sami replied, "Chad is not a bad guy. He's a really good kid and I don't see any problem with Will being his friend."

Caroline quickly became annoyed. "I'm not talking about Chad. I am talking about Sonny Kiriakis."

Even more confused, Sami gave her grandmother an inquisitive look. "What has Sonny done that makes you think he is a bad guy? I thought you liked him." Sami began to think about what she overheard between Kate and Chad at the Dimera Mansion. She wondered if Caroline knew the secret Chad and Kate believed Sonny and Will were hiding.

Caroline gave Sami a look of fear. Caroline knew that if she told Sami the truth about Sonny that Sami would only make things worse for Will concerning his sexuality. Caroline feared that Sami might encourage it because she knew that Sami was more contemporary in her thoughts about things. "I believe that Sonny is into drugs. Another worker told me that they caught him with drugs this past week and talking to Will about it. You and I both know that Will is vulnerable right now because something is bothering him. We need to put a stop to their friendship." Caroline watched concern fill Sami's eyes. Caroline had Sami where she wanted her.

* * *

><p>Back at the camp site, the guys enjoyed the breakfast that Nathan cooked up for them. Will looked around and noticed that most of the guys were talking or laughing except for Nathan. There was something off about him. Will decided to interrupt everyone's conversation by talking about their plans for the day. "So are we going on a hike today or what?"<p>

Chad looked at Will. "Yeah. We should go after we clean up from breakfast!"

"I saw this trail on this side that we could follow up the top of this hill. I think we could get a very nice view up there," Dario announced as he pointed in one direction.

"Actually," Nathan finally joined in the conversation. "There is this really cool trail that I noticed yesterday when Chad, Sonny, and I were looking for firewood. I think we should take that trail." Nathan pointed in a different direction.

Will realized he had started another Nathan vs. Dario debate as soon as Dario and Nathan started going back and forth on why their trail was the better option. Pretty soon, Nathan and Dario's voices began to get louder. Deciding that he should stop them before a fight broke out, Will stood up and said, "Hey guys! Let's just talk about it and decide instead of starting a fight."

Nathan turned to Will with an angry look. "Will, just stay out of this!"

Will was taken back by the frustration he heard in Nathan's voice. Will began to wonder if Nathan was mad at him. Chad noticed the hurt in Will's eyes and decided he needed to step in. "I have an idea… how about we vote?" Nathan and Dario stopped arguing and decided that was a good idea. "I vote Dario."

After Nathan and Dario voted for themselves, Will was next. He looked at Nathan, who avoided looking at Will, and answered, "I vote Nathan."

Everyone looked at Sonny for the deciding vote. Dario smiled as he knew he had this in the bag. Sonny hated being in this position as he liked to keep the peace, but figured if he decided not to participate it would only waste more time. "I vote… Dario."


	24. Chapter 24 The Climb

**Chapter 24: The Climb – Saturday, July 9th, 2011**

The guys were close to the top of the hill with Dario leading the pack with Sonny by his side. Sonny smiled as he watched Dario wipe the sweat off his forehead. "I love this! This is what I live for. It's going to suck when summer is over and I have to stay in one spot because of school."

Dario turned to Sonny. "You should be excited about starting school in the fall. Not everyone gets to go to college."

"You didn't go?" Sonny questioned feeling a bit bad about what he said.

"I wish. I barely graduated high school. As soon as I turned fifteen I took on a job to help support the family. No money for school." Dario picked up his pace causing Sonny to fall behind. Sonny picked up his pace to catch up.

Chad, Nathan, and Will followed not too far behind Sonny and Dario. Will overheard Sonny mention school and decided to ask Nathan about his experience hoping Nathan would say more than one word to him. "Nathan, did you enjoy your college experience? How many years were you in school to become a doctor?"

"A lot," Nathan quickly answered. Giving Will a suspicious look, Nathan continued, "I really don't want to talk about my experience though. There's really nothing to say about it." Nathan wondered why Will would ask him that question.

Chad decided to help Will out in connecting with Nathan. "I enjoy college more than high school and I had fun in high school… well for the most part. Any advice from your experience, Nathan?"

Nathan stopped walking and turned to Chad. "Just be careful who you trust. You think you might know someone, but always keep your eyes open." Nathan turned around and started walking again.

Chad and Will followed Nathan. Chad scratched his head and looked at Will who was holding his neck. Will noticed that Nathan's comment seemed very serious. Chad thought that Nathan decided to change the subject to randomly diss his family. "Where did that come from? I get that your family does not like my family."

Nathan turned his head to Chad as they arrived to the top. "I'm not talking about your family." Nathan found a place to sit to look at the view. Sonny and Dario were quietly looking at the view already. Chad and Will both wondered who Nathan was talking about, but decided to let it go when they realized they had made it to the top.

Chad and Will took a seat and enjoyed the view as well. The guys sat there in silence for a while to be one with nature. Dario broke the silence, "One day I am going to bring Melanie up here."

"If she's smart she won't trust you with her life," Nathan said under his breath.

Unfortunately, Dario heard what Nathan said and asked, "Do you have a problem?" Dario looked down at Nathan who was still sitting on the ground.

Nathan immediately rose and got in Dario's face. "Yeah, actually, I do. You don't deserve Melanie. You are beneath her." Dario immediately threw a punch hitting Nathan in the face. Nathan threw one back and before they knew it, Dario and Nathan were engaged in a full-out, unrestrained fight.

Chad, Will, and Sonny all yelled for them to stop. Will realized that the peace and quiet earlier was only the quiet of the storm. This had been building since they arrived. He knew he needed to do something. He ran over to the middle and tried to separate Dario and Nathan. "Stop guys! This is ridiculous!"

Without even thinking, Nathan grabbed Will by his shirt. "Get off of me, you freak!" Nathan pushed Will away from him causing Will to slip and fall off the cliff.

"Will!" Chad screamed as he saw Will disappear from his sight. Dario and Nathan immediately stopped fighting and ran over to the cliff with Sonny and Chad. Chad looked down fearing the worse. "Will?" Chad and the others spotted Will lying on the ground. "Oh my gosh!" Chad made his way down to Will and looked him over. "Are you okay?"

Sonny, Dario, and Nathan quickly made their way down to Will's side, too. Sonny looked up to where Will fell down from. "You're lucky you only fell a few feet."

"I'm fine. Just the wind knocked out of me is all." Will stated. The guys were relieved that nothing seemed to be wrong.

Dario turned to Nathan, who had his attention on Will. "Eres un idiota!"

Sonny got in-between Nathan and Dario and turned to Dario. "Back off man. Just let it go before someone else gets hurt." Dario backed off. Keeping his distance, Nathan watched as Chad helped Will up. Nathan felt horrible for what he did to Will.

* * *

><p>At the Dimera Mansion, Kate and Stefano were relaxing and enjoying each other's company in the living room. "It's so quiet in the house this weekend with Chad gone. He's usually listening to that loud music. I need to show my son some culture!" Kate laughed at Stefano. He continued, "You know, I hope that since Chad is gone, he will realize he has no need for Abigail. I think the space apart will make him see that there is nothing there."<p>

"Yeah. There was hope there for a while when Abigail made Chad upset, but unfortunately Chad forgave her. He needs to open his eyes and see that she will never love him." Kate took a sip of her drink.

Stefano wondered how she knew about what occurred between Abigail and Chad. "I know that I told you to stay out of it, but what have you been doing to keep them apart… you know… manipulation wise?"

Kate began to laugh, "You know me too well."

"Yes, I do," Stefano responded playfully.

"I've been working on Abigail. I have tried to make her feel insecure about her relationship with Chad… make her realize that she is in way over her head. She can't survive this." Kate smiled to see if Stefano would approve.

"Has it been working?" Stefano asked.

"Yeah, I think she's scared!" Kate smiled widely.

* * *

><p>Justin walked into Adrienne's office at the Cheatin' Heart after he softly tapped on the door post to announce his presence. "Hey, I'm done for the day."<p>

Adrienne looked up at her husband and smiled. "Hey there. I'm glad that you're here." Her smile quickly turned into a frown. "I can't stop thinking about our baby boy. Last night was a mess. What are we going to do when Sonny gets back tomorrow to find he has lost his job and his favorite Uncle Victor knows and hates that he is gay?"

Justin moved closer to his wife and tried to comfort her. "We'll just have to tell him what happened I guess. Victor informed me earlier that he set up an internship for Sonny at Salem University Hospital, so I think we can use that as good news that sugar-coats the bad news when we tell him that he lost his job."

Adrienne did not know what to think of the news as a whole. "I think it's good that Victor has set up an internship for Sonny, but his reaction last night worries me. Do you think we should try to find our own place?"

Justin gave Adrienne's suggestion some thought. "I don't think we have to worry about that. I think with Victor's setting up the internship, we at least know that Victor still loves Sonny and cares about his welfare." Adrienne shook her head in agreement. "So what about Sonny's friendship with Will? Caroline seemed adamant about ending their friendship."

Frustration fell over Adrienne's face. "That woman…" Adrienne took a breath as she remembered talking to Sami earlier. "Actually, Sami called and we talked for maybe a couple of minutes. We both agreed that it would be best to keep them apart to avoid any grief for the both of them and our families." Adrienne hated that they had to do this, but she wanted to protect her son.

"So Sami knows that Sonny is gay?"

"I guess so… she never came out and said it, but she implied that she knew." Adrienne thought about her conversation with Sami. "Sami said that she felt bad about telling me that she thought Will should keep his distance from Sonny because of his problem… I'm thinking Caroline got to her because she actually said 'problem'." Adrienne was clearly getting worked up. "It's not a problem! Why can't other people see that?"

Justin tried to calm Adrienne down. "Look, we'll just tell Sonny that everyone agreed that maybe he and Will need to stop hanging out for a while to let others get adjusted with his sexuality. I'm sure he'll understand."

Adrienne blew her hair out of her face. "I hope you're right."

* * *

><p>T and the ladies arrived at Club Dune and were immediately let in by the bouncer. Once inside, Kinsey started to move to the music. "This is my jam! Come on T! Let's dance." She grabbed T's hand to head to the dance floor. T stopped to see what the other girls were going to do.<p>

Abigail yelled at them. "You two go ahead. We're going to find a table!"

T, trying to fight being pulled to the dance floor by Kinsey, pointed towards a guy standing against the wall. "Talk to that guy. Tell him you're with me, and he'll give you a table."

T and Kinsey disappeared in the crowd, as Melanie, Abigail, and Gabi made their way to T's friend. "Hi, we're with T. We need a table." Abigail shouted over the music. The guy motioned for them to follow him. Abigail turned to Melanie and Gabi. "Wow… we need to take T with us more often!" The girls agreed. They made their way to an open table that had a 'reserved' sign on it. The guy removed the sign. "Thanks!"

Before the girls could sit, Josh made his way to Abigail. "Abigail! I had no idea you would be here tonight!" Josh waved at Gabi and Melanie and they waved back.

"Hey, Josh! Are you here alone?" Abigail smiled as she looked him over.

"I'm here with a couple of my buds. You want to dance?" Josh flashed a smile hoping Abigail would agree.

Abigail looked to Melanie and Gabi unsure of what to say. Melanie and Gabi pushed her towards Josh. "Go! Chad's not here and we won't tell him." Melanie winked at Abigail.

After Abigail disappeared with Josh on the dance floor, Melanie and Gabi finally took a seat at the table. After ordering drinks, Gabi smiled at Melanie. "It's so good to be out tonight! After working those extra shifts, I need a night out like this!"

"Oh yeah! You need to find yourself a hot guy tonight to dance with and maybe get his number. I promised your brother that I would get you out of your shell this weekend!" Melanie grinned at the thought.

"I'm not going to do that because I would not do that to Will," Gabi protested.

Melanie rolled her eyes. "But you and Will broke up. You would not be betraying him since you are not dating him." Melanie tried to rationalize with Gabi without getting into Will's secret.

"I'm not going to give up on him. He will realize that he misses me and we'll be together again!" Gabi did not understand why Melanie seemed so adamant that she move on from Will.

"Gabi, I don't think Will is going to come back to you. I don't want to see you waste your energy on something that will never happen. Trust me, it's better if you move on now!" Melanie hoped that Gabi would just listen to her advice and take it.

"How do you know he won't come back?" Gabi wondered if Will might have told her something. "Did Will say something to you?"

"No, he didn't, but just trust me. I think he likes you more as a friend." Melanie took Gabi's hand. "Just trust me, please!"

Before Gabi could respond, Kinsey and T returned to the table. "That was fun! You two should go dancing!" Kinsey took a deep breath. "I'm going to the ladies' room." Kinsey walked away.

T looked Gabi over. "Gabi, you want to dance?"

"No, I am good." Gabi responded rather quickly.

"What she meant to say is yes. She has been waiting for someone to ask her and she's happy that it's a friend." Melanie pushed Gabi to get up and dance. She gave Gabi an insistent look.

"Fine. I'll dance." Gabi gave her hand to T as he pulled her up and led her onto the dance floor. T held her close as they began to dance. Gabi could not help but have fun because T was a good dancer. She moved her mouth up to his ear. "You surprise me, T. I never knew you could dance this well!"

"Well, you never danced with me at the school dances. You were always too busy with Will and Chad!" T smiled. "You are looking hot tonight, Gabi. I mean, you always look good, but tonight…" T raised his eye brows and bit his lip.

Gabi tried to laugh off Tad's compliment. "Thanks, but what would Kinsey do if she heard you talking that way to another girl?"

"She wouldn't care," T admitted. "She's not my girlfriend. Kinsey and I are just friends with benefits."

Gabi gave T an inquisitive look. "How does that work?"

"It's okay, I guess. It's fun! But I know it's only temporary until I find the right girl." T smiled at Gabi.

* * *

><p>Back at the campsite, Nathan finished checking Will out for injuries. Dario and Sonny were at the lake, while Chad stayed behind to make sure Will was fine. Nathan looked up at Chad. "I think you should be fine, Will." Nathan announced with relief.<p>

Chad was also relieved. "That's good to hear. You had us all worried there Will." Chad wanted to give Will a hug, but restrained himself.

"Chad, can I have a moment alone with Will?" Nathan turned his attention to Will hoping Will would be okay with talking to him alone as well.

Will motioned his head to Chad to let him know it was okay. "Yeah, sure." Chad left and headed for the lake.

Nathan and Will sat there in close proximity in silence for a while. Nathan looked down and then back at Will. "What I did up there was not only stupid, but also very reckless. I could have killed you. I am so sorry."

Will tried to make eye contact with Nathan but failed. "It's okay, Nathan. I'm fine and I know that you weren't trying to kill me or hurt me." Will remembered the moment he tried to stop the fight between Nathan and Dario. "…at least physically," Will continued. "Why did you call me freak when you pushed me away?"

Nathan immediately got nervous. "I didn't mean anything by it. I was just in the heat of the moment and my anger chose that word. It's nothing personal," Nathan lied feeling a bit guilty.

"To tell you the truth, I think hearing you call me freak like that probably hurt more than my fall off that cliff." Will admitted as he stood up. He walked away from Nathan, but stopped to turn back to him. "I think you know that I've always looked up to you and I respect you because you're a great guy, but today I've noticed that something seems off… like you are upset with me… like I've done something wrong and you want nothing to do with me. Am I wrong?"

Nathan swallowed hard. "I… I don't hate you Will. You are family and nothing could ever change that. You have nothing to worry about. I guess I am just upset about the Melanie thing. I guess I should apologize to Dario." Nathan forced a smile realizing he lied to Will again. He did not want to tell Will the truth. He was upset with Will. He actually felt sorry for him. Trying to keep Will from pushing the subject further, Nathan looked back at Will and said, "We should head over to the lake for some R&R. What do you say?"

Will figured Nathan did not want to talk anymore. "Sure."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, at the lake, Sonny and Dario were sitting on the small cliff with their feet dangling in the water. Keeping his eyes on his feet, Sonny thought about Dario's relationship with Melanie. Sonny was happy for Dario, but he also wondered if Dario was making a mistake. "Melanie seems like a big risk."<p>

Dario turned to Sonny, "What do you mean?"

"It just seems that Melanie leaves a lot of guys brokenhearted." Sonny thought about Nathan and Philip. Abigail had told him about Nick as well.

Dario tried to play off the fear that Melanie might do the same to him. "Well, then she's perfect for me because I am the same way."

Sonny looked up to Dario and smiled. "Oh? So you break guys' hearts, too?"

Dario realized he walked right into that one. Sonny's comment slightly offended him. Before he could respond, he felt wet sand hit his back. "What the…" Dario and Sonny turned around to see Chad standing there about to throw more wet sand at them. "This is war!" Dario and Sonny immediately got up and started to throw wet sand at Chad.

Chad started laughing as he dodged what Dario and Sonny threw at him. "This isn't fair! Two against one?"

"You started it!" Sonny shouted back. Sonny looked back at Dario to see that Dario was now throwing wet sand at him. "What? I thought we were a team?"

"You thought wrong!" Dario hit Sonny on the leg. "That's for calling me a gay heartbreaker!"

Chad stood up and gave Dario and Sonny a confused look. "I guess I missed that part of the conversation!" Dario and Sonny hit Chad on the chest. Chad wiped the sand off his chest. "I didn't realize how gross this feels."

Will and Nathan walked out and saw what the others were doing. Sonny, Dario, and Chad turned towards them and threw wet sand at them. Will and Nathan dodged it. Will turned to Nathan, "So much for that R&R you were talking about." Nathan and Will went their separate ways to dodge the flinging wet sand that was everywhere now.

Nathan hid behind a boulder. He turned to the other side and spotted Dario standing there taking cover as well. "Dario." Dario jumped and turned around. "I'm not going to throw anything at you," he quickly declared. Nathan put his hands up to show he had nothing in them.

Dario relaxed and dropped the sand in his hand. "I'm really not enjoying this game. Sand is really hard to get rid of once it's on your stuff."

"Yeah. Agreed." Nathan looked down knowing what he had to do. "Look, I'm sorry I made that comment about you and Melanie when we were up there. I'm not over Melanie and it's taking longer than I expected."

Dario gave Nathan an understanding look. "I know that you and Melanie have history. I'm sorry I kept rubbing it in your face. That was not cool of me." Dario stuck out his hand. "Truce."

Nathan took Dario's hand. "Truce." Suddenly Sonny, Will, and Chad found Dario and Nathan hiding behind the boulder. Each threw two hands full of wet sand at them. "Forget this!" Nathan and Dario ran into the lake to wash off the sand.

Dario screamed at the others. "We're not playing anymore!" After Nathan and Dario washed all the sand off of their bodies and trunks, they headed back to the camp site.

Chad, Will, and Sonny did not care and began to chase each other around. Will threw some wet sand on Sonny's chest. Sonny tackled Will and brought him down. The two started to roll over each other, but Will finally got the upper hand and held Sonny down. "Gotcha!"

Chad watched the two wrestle and decided he wanted in. As soon as Will had mounted Sonny, Chad jumped on Will and mounted him. "Ha. You should keep your eyes open for everything, Will." Sonny was about to jump Chad, but decided to let Will and Chad have some fun alone. He ran into the lake to rinse off.

Chad and Will wrestled with each other for a while longer when Chad got an idea. Chad held Will's hands to the side and pinned him down. He looked into Will's eyes. "I still owe you that kiss." Although he buried the thought, deep down Chad secretly thought about the kiss at Abigail's beach party after he revived Will. Chad knew that he felt something that night and wondered if it was just the surprise of the kiss or if Will was just a great kisser. Chad buried those thoughts again as he did not like to dwell on them. Sonny quietly made his way back to the camp site leaving the two alone by the lake.

"I dare you to try!" Will teased back giving Chad a smirk. The two were at it again as they both struggled to get the upper hand. Chad moved in for a kiss, but Will fought him off. Will began to moan in pain. "Ow. My back!"

Chad began to worry and stopped wrestling with Will. "Will, are you okay?" he asked giving Will a concerned look.

Will pushed Chad off of him and smiled as he jumped on Chad. "Ha… you're not going to get any lip from me!" Will shouted playfully.

"I'm not going to stop until I succeed." Chad did not realize how strong Will really was. Will and Chad began to roll around again. Lucky for Chad, he was able to end up on top of Will again. Chad had Will's hands pinned down next to Will's head and moved his face closer to Will's. Will would not let him get any closer and moved his head to the side.

Suddenly, it began to pour down rain. Will stopped fighting because the rain threw him off. He looked up just in time for Chad's lips to meet with his. Will closed his eyes as Chad kissed him. In that moment, Will and Chad did not feel the rain pouring on their bodies. All they felt were each other.

Will opened his eyes to realize that Chad had already climbed off of him and was running towards the camp. He looked over as Chad yelled out to him, "Hurry up Will… before your sleeping bag gets soaked again!"

Will stood up and adjusted himself. "Coming!" Will began to run through the rain while touching his lips. He questioned what had just happened. Chad kissed him and he definitely felt something more this time.


	25. Chapter 25 The Return

**Chapter 25: The Return – Sunday, July 10th, 2011**

It was now Sunday morning. Chad, Dario, and Nathan were putting things in the car, while Sonny and Will walked around to make sure that they left nothing behind. Chad put the tent in the back of his car. He turned to Nathan and Dario who were emptying some water from the cooler before putting it in. "We should definitely plan something like this again! It's good to get away from the ladies sometimes."

"Speak for yourself!" Nathan responded with a laugh.

"Nathan is right. There was definitely too much male bonding on this trip!" Dario picked up the cooler and put it in the trunk.

Chad scratched his head. "What's wrong with male bonding?" Nathan and Dario just shook their heads at Chad's question.

Sonny and Will found a towel by the lake. Sonny picked up the towel and tossed it over his shoulder. He noticed that Will seemed in high spirits. "So did you have fun this weekend?"

Will smiled as he thought about the weekend. "It's the best time I've had in a long time. I haven't felt this good since… ever."

Sonny smiled back. "I can tell. You seem relaxed and happy." Sonny and Will headed back towards the other guys.

"Before we get too close to the other guys, there's something I want to say." Sonny and Will stopped walking.

"What is it?" Sonny asked.

"I wanted to thank you for helping me this weekend. I have learned so much from you and how to handle all of this. You really have been a great friend." Will gave Sonny a hug.

Sonny patted Will on the back as they hugged. "Anytime man. You have been there for me as well." Sonny and Will separated from the hug, but Sonny kept his hands on Will's shoulders as he looked into his eyes. "If you need me for anything when we get back to Salem, I am here for you… whatever you need."

Will tried to control how happy he felt. "Thanks, Sonny. That really means a lot." Sonny and Will decided to meet up with the other guys so they could leave.

* * *

><p>At the Dimera Mansion, Sami was on the phone with the bakery about the cake for her and EJ's wedding. She began to describe what she wanted, when Stefano walked in giving her an impatient look. Stefano walked over to the desk and sat down as Sami continued her conversation over the phone. After Sami finished her conversation, Sami hung up the phone. "I'll be out of your way now," Sami said to Stefano as she began to walk out.<p>

Stefano turned around in his chair. "Actually, Samantha, I wanted to talk to you about something."

Sami turned around wondering what Stefano wanted to talk about. She figured it would not be something good. She gave him a cautious look. "I'm all ears."

Stefano pulled himself out of his chair and moved closer to Sami. "Now, if you're really serious about being a Dimera, then I have a proposition for you." Sami's interest was peaked. Stefano continued, "I think that you should take my place on the board at Salem University Hospital. It would be beneficial for the family because sometimes the other board members are skeptical of my decisions to help the hospital. Of course, I will still have a say in the decisions, I just want you to be my voice." Stefano paused for a moment to let his proposition sink in. "So are you interested?"

"I am." Sami thought about how this still was not what she had in mind, but it was a step in the right direction. Sami figured there would be perks as well with the new job.

"Great!" Stefano clasped his hands. "If you play this right, this will be just the beginning!"

* * *

><p>At the pub, Caroline was preparing things for Will's return after her meeting with Father Matt and Sami. She had a homemade apple pie in the oven and came out to the front to make sure that everything was in order. As she wiped down one of the tables, she heard the door open behind her. "We're closed today. We'll be open again tomorrow." Caroline looked up to give a smile to whoever ignored the 'closed' sign, but jumped when she saw Victor standing there. "Oh, Victor. What are you doing here?"<p>

"I'm hoping to have a moment of your time." Victor said in a calm voice.

Caroline knew that she and Victor had disconnected a bit after Shawn Sr. died, but they still had their moments. "Sure. What did you want to talk to me about?"

Victor rested his hand on a chair nearby. "I am curious as to why you are so interested in Sonny's sexuality. I thought it was weird that you would come over to my house to talk to Adrienne and Justin about it. Did Sonny do something while he worked here?"

"No." Caroline let out without thinking. She realized that she could trust Victor with what she knew because he had the same beliefs as she did. "The truth is that I am worried Sonny will help Will realize that he is gay."

"How do you know that Will is gay?" Victor gave Caroline a concerned look. He would not wish the disease on anyone.

Caroline looked down in shame. "I have known for a while," Caroline admitted. Her voice filled with sadness. "I noticed the way he looked at other boys. It's innocent though. Will has no idea that he is gay, and I hope to keep it that way. If he ever figures it out, his life will be over."

Victor thought about the predicament they were in with Will and Sonny. "Do you think I should send Sonny away to get help?"

Caroline looked back to Victor. "I would if I had the authority to make that decision. Parents these days are so misinformed."

* * *

><p>After putting his stuff in a locker at the Salem Gym, EJ made his way to a treadmill to run a few miles. He figured he should skip the weight bench since Chad and Will were not there to spot him. While he ran, EJ felt as though someone was watching him. He glanced over his shoulder, but saw no one.<p>

When EJ had finished his run, he got off the treadmill and grabbed a hand towel to wipe the sweat off his face. He looked over and saw a guy staring at him. The guy quickly walked off. "Wait." EJ tried to follow the guy around the gym, but lost him when he made his way to the locker room. EJ figured the guy was just checking him out and ran off embarrassed because EJ caught him.

EJ decided to leave it alone and relax in the sauna. He went back to the locker and grabbed his bag. He stripped down and put a towel around his waist. He put his clothes back in the bag and placed the bag back into locker. EJ headed out to the sauna.

After EJ had left the sauna, the man walked over to the locker that contained EJ's stuff. He opened the locker and grabbed EJ's bag. After opening the bag, the man pulled out EJ's cell phone.

* * *

><p>Chad and Nathan dropped Will, Sonny, and Dario off by the pub and drove off. Will, Sonny, and Dario made their way over to the entrance of the Brady Pub to find Adrienne and Justin waiting outside. When Adrienne and Justin spotted the guys, they stood up from the bench. Sonny looked around confused, "Mom, dad… why aren't you inside?"<p>

Adrienne gave Sonny a hug – happy that he made it back safely. She placed her hand on his cheek. "We couldn't wait that long to see you. We missed you so much!" Justin smiled and agreed with Adrienne.

Sonny glanced at Will and then back to his parents. "I was going to hang out with Will a while longer before heading home."

Justin stepped up and put his hand on Sonny's shoulder. "Actually, your mom and I were hoping to take you home now. We kind of need to talk to you about something."

Sonny saw the seriousness in his father's eyes. He turned back to Will and Dario a bit upset that he could not hang out longer. "I'll see you guys later?"

"Yeah. I'll call you tomorrow." Will smiled at Sonny. Will and Dario headed into the pub.

Sonny turned back to his parents who motioned him to their car, but Sonny stopped them. "I can tell something is wrong. What is it?"

Adrienne took Sonny's hand. "Nothing is wrong. Let's just go home."

Sonny became upset because he felt that his parents were crowding him with protection again. They always treated him so delicately. "No… tell me what's going on!"

Justin stepped in. "It's better if we talk about it at home in private, son. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can tell you."

"Fine. Let's go home then." Sonny headed to the car as Justin and Adrienne followed him.

Inside the pub, Gabi and T greeted Will and Dario when they walked in. Gabi walked to her brother and gave him a hug, while T gave Will a handshake. "You guys couldn't wait one day for me to get back?" T joked with Will.

"Sorry man. I couldn't remember when you were supposed to get back, but it's good to see you." Will smiled at T nervously.

After hugging her brother, Gabi gave him a smile. "How about we take you home?" Dario shook his head as he was ready for a shower. Gabi walked over to Will and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I missed you."

The kiss threw Will off. "Missed you, too."

Gabi pushed her brother towards the door. T came back over to Will and gave him another handshake. "Looks like I have to go. Gabi seems like she's in a hurry to get back to her place. I'll see you around."

Will watched as the three left the pub. Gabi and T hanging out together alone confused him. Will turned around when he heard his mother's voice, "Will, you're already here!" Sami made her way over to Will and gave him a hug.

"Hey mom." Will looked behind her and saw Lucas and Caroline. "Dad! What are you doing here?"

Lucas walked over and gave Will a hug. "Allie and I are in town for a while. I'm hoping that I can make up for missing your high school graduation."

"Don't sweat it, dad. I knew you were busy." Will offered a smile.

Lucas pulled out a chair for Sami and then took a seat next to her. "Let's sit and catch up."

"Okay." Will took a seat across from his parents.

Caroline walked over with the apple pie and a few plates. "I made your favorite fresh out of the oven." Caroline patted Will on the back and smiled. "Enjoy." Caroline headed to the bar to leave Will alone with his parents. Will looked up from the pie and noticed that both of his parents were smiling at him. He suddenly became suspicious that his parents were up to something.


	26. Chapter 26 Stay Away

**Chapter 26: Stay Away – Sunday, July 10th, 2011**

Chad stopped in front of the Horton House to drop off Nathan. Chad turned off his car deciding that he would step in for a second to say hello to Abigail. Chad helped Nathan get his stuff out of the car and as they headed towards the house, Abigail and Josh walked out the front door.

Abigail, who had not noticed Chad and Nathan yet, smiled at Josh as he told her, "I'm so glad we had lunch today. I have really missed you."

"Well, it's not over yet." Abigail looked out spotting Chad and Nathan walking towards them. "Chad… Nathan… you guys are back…"

Chad glanced at Josh wondering what he was doing with Abigail. "Yeah. The camping trip is over."

Abigail noticed Chad suspiciously looking Josh over. She realized that she needed to introduce everyone. First, she looked towards Josh. "This is my friend from high school, Josh." Then she turned towards Chad and Nathan. "Josh, this is my cousin, Nathan. He's a doctor at Salem University Hospital." Abigail tried to give Chad a hug as she introduced him to Josh, but it turned awkward because Chad did not expect it. "Um… this is my boyfriend, Chad. He works for his father at Dimera Enterprises."

Josh tried to smile as he shook Nathan's and Chad's hands. He looked at Chad. "Dimera Enterprises, eh?"

Before Chad or Abigail could respond, Nathan grabbed his stuff and headed towards the door. "I should get my stuff inside." He wanted to avoid the awkwardness.

After Nathan went inside, Abigail stood next to Josh. "Chad's father is Stefano Dimera."

Josh nervously smiled. "That's nice."

Chad forced a smile back. "So what are you two up to?" Chad wondered if they were alone in the house.

"We just had lunch with my mom and now we're headed to Bruce and Jack's for some ice cream. Do you want to join us?" Abigail took Chad's hand in an attempt to reassure him that nothing was going on between her and Josh.

Chad took his hand from Abigail's grasp. "Nah. I need to go home, shower, and unpack. I'll see you later." Chad turned around and headed to his car.

Josh watched as Chad got into his car and turned to Abigail. "Is everything cool?" He hoped he did not mess things up for Chad and Abigail.

"I hope so." Abigail watched as Chad drove off. Wanting to forget what just happened, Abigail turned back to Josh and said, "Let's get some ice cream."

* * *

><p>EJ walked into the living room at the Dimera Mansion to find his father finishing a phone call. EJ could not shake the feeling that someone was watching him at the gym. "Father, something strange happened at the gym today."<p>

Stefano turned to EJ and gave him a strange look. "I still do not understand why you go to that public place when we have our own personal gym here in the mansion!"

EJ poured himself a glass of water. "I already explained to you that it's important that we make appearances in public places to show that we are just like the other Salemites. It's one of the things you taught me."

"Right. Everyone needs to know that we sweat just like every other person in the world." Stefano shook his head. "So what happened today at the gymnasium?"

"I think someone was following and spying on me." EJ took a gulp of water.

"Did you get a good look at the guy?" Stefano thought about who could have reason to spy on his son.

"Not really. Male… about my height… dark hair. That's all I got." EJ tried to remember more, but the guy quickly disappeared when EJ spotted him.

Stefano began to rub his beard. "You think he's connected to Rafael?"

EJ thought about his father's suggestion. "I guess anything could be possible."

"If this guy is connected to Mr. Hernandez than we are in deeper than we thought. I don't like the idea that Rafael has feelers on the outside watching us." Stefano knew that something needed to be done. "Talk to the informant as soon as possible. We need to figure this out immediately!"

* * *

><p>Justin, Sonny, and Adrienne arrived at the Kiriakis Mansion. Sonny took a seat in the living room and waited for his parents to do the same. Once they were all seated, Sonny came out with it, "So what's going on? Did someone die?" Sonny's thoughts clearly got ahead of him on the drive over.<p>

"No. Everyone is fine." Justin assured Sonny. "But we thought we should let you know that you lost your job at the Brady Pub."

"What?" Sonny wondered if Caroline fired him because he went camping.

"But there's good news, son." Justin continued. "Uncle Victor set up an internship for you at the hospital. You start on Monday."

Sonny smiled about being able to work at the hospital. It made up for the bad news of being fired from the pub. "I thought it was too late to get an internship at the hospital."

Adrienne glanced at Justin while speaking to Sonny, "Well, you know Victor has his ways." She tried to smile, but could not stop worrying on what the price would be for this internship.

Sonny noticed the concern on his parents' faces. "This is good news, right? Why do I get the feeling that there's something you haven't told me? There's more, isn't there?"

Adrienne decided she should be the one to tell Sonny. "We think at this time, you should stop hanging out with Will." Sonny remained quiet as he tried to digest what his mother was asking of him. "It's just for a little while. There's been some fuss between the families, and it's best that you two just stay away from each other."

Justin looked at his son. "You have any questions or anything you want to say?" Sonny sat there speechless. He could not believe this was happening.

* * *

><p>Back at the Brady Pub, Caroline watched as Will sat there with his parents and had small talk about Lucas's life in Hong Kong and his mother's adventures of planning her wedding. Will knew they wanted to talk to him about something else, so he decided to call them out on it. "What is going on here? You two have not been this nice to each other since… well, I can't remember."<p>

Sami grabbed her son's hand. "Will, we are just worried about you because you have seem depressed lately. I know that you don't like talking about what is on your mind, but we want to make sure you know that you can talk to us."

Will liked that his parents came together to make sure he was okay, but he knew that things were better for him. "I'm actually doing well. I had a great time this weekend. It really helped me relax and not put so much pressure on myself."

Sami smiled at her son. "That's really good to hear, but we're still concerned about you."

Lucas made eye contact with his son. "We're concerned about who you have been spending your time with."

Will gave his parents a questioning look. "What are you trying to say?" he asked rather slowly.

"We have talked to Adrienne and Justin and everyone agreed that it would be best if you and Sonny stopped hanging out." Sami let out calmly hoping that things would remain that way.

Trying not to raise his voice, Will could not help but feel angry. "Why?" He removed his hand from under his mother's hand.

"That doesn't matter. What matters is that your mom and I are worried that Sonny will have some kind of affect on you. We don't want to lose you." Lucas answered.

After thinking through what his father said, Will believed that his parents knew that Sonny was gay. They also seemed to believe that Sonny could turn Will gay making him into some kind of failure. Will stood up and went into attack mode. "Where is this coming from?" Will turned to his father. "How could you even know what I am going through or how I am feeling when you are not even around. You could probably win the award for most absentee father with the last name Horton and that's saying a lot considering who your father is!" Will then turned to his mother. "And you… you asked me to trust you. I'm happy that you found love in your life, but I am not allowed the same trust to make my own decisions? Why can't I have the same. That's all I want! Trust me… I know what I am doing." Will looked at both of his parents waiting for an answer even though deep down he did not know what he was doing.

Sami turned to Lucas and realized he was too upset to say anything. She knew she had to do damage control, but Will's outburst made her worry even more. "Will, we are just worried about you. We don't want you to get into drugs."

"Drugs? This is about drugs?" Sami saying this was about drugs threw Will off. He did not expect her to say that. He searched her eyes and realized that they were worried about drugs and did not know anything about his sexuality.

Lucas and Sami looked at each other after Will's response about the drugs. Lucas stood up. "What did you think we were talking about? Is something else going on?"

Will did not want to answer Lucas's question, so he knew he needed to get out of there. "I… I'm done talking about this. I think it is messed up that you want me to stay away from Sonny, but… … I'm tired and want to get some sleep before work tomorrow." Will headed up the stairs to his room.

Lucas sat back down and looked at Sami. Both knew they had more reason to worry about Will's well-being. Something was off. Sami tried to believe that they did the right thing in confronting the situation, but struggled with the way Will stormed off. "We did the right thing, right?"

Lucas shrugged his shoulders trying to take in what happened. Caroline came over and took a seat across from them. She took Sami's hand and looked at both Sami and Lucas. "You guys did the right thing. I promise you… you won't regret keeping Will away from Sonny. Will has a bright future ahead of him now that you've set things straight." Caroline smiled.

* * *

><p>Melanie ran to her door when she heard a knock. She quickly regretted running over when she got to the door as her legs were still sore from all the dancing the night before. She opened the door and smiled when she saw Dario. "Dario!"<p>

"I would have come over sooner, but I figured you would like me showered up. Did you miss me?"

"Of course!" Melanie gave Dario a hug and then a kiss on the lips. "You smell nice!" She winked. "Dad's not here, so no worries there."

Melanie and Dario made their way to the couch. Dario pulled Melanie closer so that she would sit on his lap. "So what do you want to do tonight?"

Melanie wrapped her arms around his neck. "I think I am getting old."

Dario gave her a strange look because she did not answer his question. "Why is that?"

"I am really tired, so I think I want to just stay in and be lazy." Melanie rested her head on the couch by Dario's head.

Dario looked into her eyes. "Why are you so tired?"

"I went out with the girls last night to a club. I used to do that a lot before I came to Salem, but now it's really tiring!" Melanie thought about how much her life had changed. "And what makes me feel worse about it is the fact that I was DD. How lame have I become?" she asked jokingly.

"You're not lame." Dario answered. "I think I know what we're going to do tonight."

"What's that?" Melanie lifted her head interested.

"We're getting drunk!" Dario announced. "Where's your liquor? I make some amazing margaritas!" Melanie got off of Dario and helped him off the couch. "Wait. Since you were DD, does that mean my underage sister got drunk this weekend?"

"You told me to get her out of her shell," Melanie purposely responded with a straight-face. She could see the concern on Dario's face and began to laugh. "She did not get drunk, but she did have a drink. Is there a problem?"

Dario smiled at Melanie and gave her a kiss. "Nope. I trust you."

* * *

><p>In the kitchen at the Horton House, Nathan could not forget what happened on the camping trip. He looked at his phone deliberating whether he should call Will or not. "What to do… what to do…"<p>

"What's going on, Nathan?" Jennifer asked behind him. "It seems like you're contemplating something. Is it about Melanie?"

Nathan took a deep breath and turned around to face Jennifer. "I wish it was about Melanie because that would be a lot easier to figure out on what I need to do. I just need to move on."

"Well, that is not really an easy thing to do, so that tells me that what you're contemplating is even harder than getting over someone you love. Do you want to talk about it?" Jennifer placed her hand on Nathan's arm.

"Can I ask you a hypothetical question?" Nathan did not want to give all the details out. Jennifer nodded her head, so Nathan continued, "Say you overheard someone you're really close to reveal a disheartening secret you weren't supposed to hear. Would you tell them that you overheard it?"

Jennifer crossed her arms and then rested one of her hands on her chin. "What do you mean by disheartening?"

"Disappointing. The secret is disappointing." Nathan responded hoping that Jennifer would tell him what he needed to do.

"Why is the secret disappointing?" Jennifer could see a bit of fear in Nathan's eyes.

"Because now I don't think I can trust said person," Nathan admitted still trying not to reveal too much.

Jennifer tried to give Nathan a comforting look. "This isn't so hypothetical, is it?"

Nathan turned slightly away from Jennifer and rested his hands on the counter. "No. It's not." Nathan began to think about his experience in school. "Something happened."

"What happened, Nathan?" Jennifer saw the fear take over Nathan's whole body.

"I had a professor that I befriended. I respected him, looked up to him, and even felt close to him, but he betrayed my trust." Nathan's voice was a bit shaky. "I've never told anyone about this."

"You can tell me, Nathan." Jennifer put her hand on Nathan's back to let him know that she was there for him. "That's what family is for."

Nathan closed his eyes before continuing, "He forced himself on me." Jennifer gave Nathan a hug shocked that this happened to him. "He did not succeed or anything. I was able to stop him before anything happened, but I found out the only reason he showed any interest in me as a student was because he found me attractive. He called me an idiot after I turned him down. He told me I would fail in life and just tore me down."

"That's awful Nathan. I am sorry that happened. Did you report him?" Jennifer could not believe that a professor would do that to Nathan.

"No. He was a respected professor and I did not think anyone would believe me." Nathan tried to fight through the fear that haunted him. "Besides, I did not quit. I gave my life to become a doctor, and I hope to be as respected as my great-grandfather Tom was."

"You are respected Nathan. Do you have any idea how many people look up to you because of everything you have faced in your life growing up? People don't really get to know you like our family does. We know you have a good heart and that you really care." Jennifer began to rub Nathan's back to help him feel better.

Nathan thought about Jennifer mentioning those that look up to him and thought about Will. He felt that fear return that night when he overheard Will's confession to Chad in the tent two nights ago. "I don't know what to do." Nathan did not want Jennifer to know that he was talking about Will.

Jennifer realized that Nathan had returned to what they originally started talking about. "You overheard someone confess that they are gay, huh?"

Nathan nodded his head. "Ever since that ordeal happened with my professor, I've always struggled with trusting the motives of gay guys. I'm so torn because I know that he is a good loving guy… he's one of us."

"So he's family." Jennifer began to wonder who Nathan overheard. "Look, Nathan… just because someone is gay, does not mean that he is a creep. Gay people are just like us and we are just like them. We're all people who make mistakes, but being gay is not a mistake."

Nathan turned around with tears forming in his eyes. "I just feel sorry for Will," Nathan admitted without realizing that he had said Will's name.

Jennifer hugged Nathan trying to hold in the shock of what Nathan just confirmed. "He's going to be okay, Nathan. He has us to help him."


	27. Chapter 27 Guilty

**Chapter 27: Guilty – Monday, July 11th, 2011**

Monday morning and afternoon quickly flew by for Abigail as she had just clocked out after her shift. On her way out, she spotted Melanie at the nurses' station. "Looks like I am all done here!" Abigail announced to Melanie.

"Lucky!" Melanie smiled at Abigail. "I'm still here for a few hours! What are you going to do now?"

"I'm heading home to shower and get ready to hang out with Chad tonight." Abigail gave Melanie an excited look. "I'm hanging out with him at the Dimera Mansion."

Melanie gave Abigail a shocked look. "Whaaat? Good luck, girl."

"I know! I am really nervous about it, but I don't want Chad to know that. I want to show him that I can be a better girlfriend and prove to him that I am trying harder to get comfortable with his family." Abigail had her doubts she could pull it off.

"You got this!" Melanie exclaimed hoping to encourage Abigail.

* * *

><p>EJ caught Chad up on the Rafe situation. "I have tried to contact the informant to set up a meeting, but I am waiting for him to call me back." EJ was about to continue, but he spotted Sami walking in. "So if you could please make sure that Johnny and Sydney don't overdo it on the sweets when they are with you, I would greatly appreciate it." EJ smiled at Sami and gave her a kiss. "How was your day at work, Samantha?" EJ turned back to Chad and made a face to make sure he knew not to talk about Rafe in front of Sami.<p>

When EJ turned back to face Sami, she answered, "Work was okay. I guess I am getting used to the office, but I am more excited about my first hospital board meeting at the end of the week!"

EJ gave Sami a kiss on her forehead. "Well, I am excited for you. I think it is good that you're stepping in to be the face of the Dimeras in the hospital."

Sami smiled. "Well, I am going to say hello to the kids upstairs. I'll be down later." Sami waved at Chad and left.

Chad watched Sami leave and then turned to his brother. "Question. Is there a reason we are keeping this Rafe business from Sami? I thought you guys were open about everything."

Filled with uncertainty about his decision to keep this from Sami, EJ replied, "Things are a bit complicated. I don't want Samantha to stress about it, so she can focus on planning the wedding." EJ did not want to reveal the whole truth to Chad. He did not want to incriminate his wife in case Rafe did have something on them. The kids would need their mother if something should happen to him.

* * *

><p>In the back of the Brady Pub, Will and Gabi were doing inventory. Stefano allowed Will to help out Caroline so that Will could stay true to his word. Stefano believed that to be an important trait in a man which Will found interesting considering his family's history with Stefano. While Gabi and Will worked together, it surprised Will that Gabi did not seem angry with him anymore. She seemed friendly, helpful, and positive about them working together. Gabi walked over to Will, "I'm so glad that we were able to have this time together. It's been fun hanging out with you… even if it's tedious work."<p>

"Yeah. It has been great." Will pulled out his cell phone to see if he had any messages or missed calls. He did not.

"Are you expecting someone to call, Will? I've noticed you have checked your phone all day." Gabi said giving Will a curious look.

Will looked up from his phone. "I have tried to call Sonny all day, but he hasn't picked up or returned any of my calls. It's kind of weird."

Caroline walked in overhearing Gabi and Will's conversation. "Well, Sonny is a jerk for ignoring you like that. I guess he really isn't a good friend for you to have. Your parents were right."

Caroline's casual tone about how Sonny was not a good friend threw Will. He placed his phone back in his pocket. "When is he coming back to work? I thought he would be here today."

Caroline avoided making eye contact with her great-grandson. "He's not. Sonny doesn't work here anymore because I fired him."

Will could not believe that his great-grandmother fired Sonny. "What… why did you fire him? I thought he was a good worker."

Caroline did not know how to respond. Gabi took the opportunity to tell Will what she knew about the situation. "I think it's because Sonny is gay."

Caroline immediately turned back to Gabi to stop her from saying anymore. "Why would you say that Gabi? That's not true. I didn't even know Sonny was gay." Caroline turned back to Will to do some damage control. "Do you remember the conversation you had last night with your parents about Sonny. I had to let him go because Sonny is into drugs. I did not want that stuff in my store."

Gabi and Will watched Caroline as she tried to explain herself, but Gabi knew something did not add up. Will believed that his parents put Caroline up to this to keep Sonny away from him. Gabi decided to speak up. "Wait. Sonny doesn't do drugs." Gabi gave Caroline a weird look. "I thought you knew Sonny was gay because I remember Adrienne walking in here on Friday to talk about Sonny's homosexuality and his job here. At the end of the conversation, Adrienne walked out upset because Sonny could not work here anymore."

Gabi's revelation really upset Caroline. "What on earth are you talking about? That did not happen." She turned to Will and realized that Will was not buying what she was telling him.

Confused as to why Caroline would lie to him, Will asked her in a soft tone, "Did you already know about Sonny being gay and is that the real reason he no longer works here?"

Defeated, Caroline nodded her head as she knew Will could see right through her at that point. "I did, Will. I'm sorry."

Trying to remain calm, Will continued to talk in a soft tone. "Why would you lie about that?" As soon as Will asked that question, Will realized that she set the whole thing up with his parents and Sonny's parents. He began to raise his voice. "How did you do it? How did you convince my parents and Sonny's parents to agree on keeping us apart? You convinced my parents that Sonny did drugs? You told them that I was in danger of becoming a druggie? You did all of this because Sonny is gay and you want him to stay away?"

Caroline could see that Will wanted answers and had figured out most of what she had done. Gabi could see the pain and fear in Caroline's eyes. She could see how upset Will was as well. She stood next to Caroline trying to calm the situation. "Will, I think your great-grandmother was just trying to help. She loves you and was just trying to protect you from Sonny."

Will gave Gabi a look. Her statement made no sense. "Protect me from Sonny? Gabi, please leave. I need to have a moment with my great-grandmother alone." Will could not believe that Caroline did all of this. It shocked him. Will saw that Gabi was not leaving. "Gabi… please go." Gabi gave one last look at Caroline and Will and went out to the front. Will looked to Caroline and tried to make sense of it. "How could you do this? I cannot wrap my mind around the lies you told to bring Sonny down. I can't believe I am saying this, but I am so upset and disappointed with you."

After Will shared his disappointment in her, Caroline gave her great-grandson a stern disappointed look. "Disappointed in me? I am completely disgusted that you are standing up for that sinner. It's gross the way he lives his life… can't you see…"

"I'm a sinner, too, great-grandma!" Will loudly interrupted!

Caroline backed off after Will's declaration. She tried to bring him back to her. "Well, yes. We are all sinners, but we make amends to be better people. Sonny is not…"

Will had enough. "Please be quiet. I don't want to hear anymore from you." Will stepped up to Caroline. "Yes, we are all sinners, but I thought you should know that my sin is the same as Sonny's." Without blinking, Will took off the green apron and dropped it on the floor. He walked out, pulling his cell phone to dial a number. He hoped Sonny would pick up. Caroline stood there in shock.

* * *

><p>At the Kiriakis Mansion, Victor's cell phone began to ring. Victor looked around the empty room before looking to see who was calling him. 'Will calling' displayed on Victor's cell phone screen. Victor smiled and ignored the call. "Great! It's working." He placed his phone back in his pocket and pulled out a different cell phone when he noticed Sonny walking through the front door. "Oh, Sonny. You're home. I have something for you."<p>

"Hey, Uncle Victor. What do you have for me?" Sonny smiled wondering why Victor appeared to spoil him even more so recently.

Victor handed Sonny his cell phone. "I thought you would like to have this back. I found it on the breakfast table this morning." Victor smiled lying through his teeth.

"Awesome!" Sonny began to look through his phone hoping that there was a missed call from Will. "I've been looking for this all day. I've got a few missed calls on here." Victor suddenly got nervous. "… but they're from Abigail's cell phone when I called my phone earlier to find it." Sonny put his phone in his pocket. "Thanks for holding it for me."

Relieved that there were no missed calls from Will listed, Victor decided to change the subject. "So how was your first day at the hospital?"

"It was great. I could never thank you enough for getting this together for me. It's a great opportunity." Sonny smiled at Victor and went in for a hug.

"Well, that's good to hear. I hope that the job will help you realize how things are supposed to be." Victor paused a moment to let that sink in. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some business to attend to." Before Sonny could ask what Victor meant, Victor had made his way to the stairs.

* * *

><p>At the Carver House, Lexie and Abe sat on the couch and enjoyed their quiet evening since Theo was out of the house visiting family. "I hope Theo has a good night tonight."<p>

Abe held Lexie close. "I am sure he will be fine." There was a knock on the door. "I'll get it." Abe made his way to the door and opened it to find Stefano on the other side. "Stefano, come in."

Lexie got up from the couch and gave her father a kiss on the cheek. "Father, what are you doing here? Theo isn't here at the moment. He's with my mother."

"That's fine. I actually came to talk to the two of you." Stefano announced.

Abe closed the door and moved next to his wife. "What do you want to talk to us about?"

"Rafe," Stefano put out there causing Lexie to suddenly feel nervous. "Mr. Hernandez has been trying to get in touch with me. I have a feeling that he's just bored in that prison cell and is just playing games." Stefano clasped his hands. "I am wondering if Mr. Hernandez has reached out to you, Abraham."

"You know I cannot tell you that." Abe replied trying to keep a straight face.

Stefano figured Abe would not give up any information, but figured it was worth a try. He decided not to pry so to avoid getting Lexie in any trouble with Abe. "Promise me one thing then."

"What's that?" Abe gave a suspicious look.

"If he does contact you… just be careful. The man cannot be trusted." Stefano gave Lexie a kiss on the cheek and shook Abe's hand. "You two have a good night."

Lexie watched as her father left. "Goodnight."

* * *

><p>Back at the Dimera Mansion, Abigail arrived for her date with Chad. Chad opened the door and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I'm glad you could make it. Come in."<p>

Looking around, Abigail slowly made her way into the house. She tried to not make it obvious how nervous she was about hanging out at the Dimera Mansion. She noticed Chad watching her every move. "It's quiet."

"Are you creeped out yet?" Chad joked.

Abigail nervously laughed. "I'm fine. Is your father around?"

"He actually stepped out." Chad could tell that Abigail felt better about being in the house without Stefano there. Suddenly there was a knock on the door causing Abigail to jump a bit. "I'll get that." Chad opened the door to find Will standing there. He seemed upset.

Not seeing Abigail and before Chad could say hi, Will spoke up as soon as he saw that Chad answered the door. "I'm sorry to bother you, but I need to talk and I might need a place to stay the night." Will hoped Chad would be okay with him coming over like this since he could not get in touch with Sonny.

"Sure… come in." Chad moved so that Will could walk in. Chad liked that Will came to him to talk. As soon as Will walked in, he spotted Abigail. Will quickly realized that he had interrupted something. After closing the door, Chad turned to Abigail. "Is it cool if we reschedule our date and I hang out with Will?"

Even though Will felt guilty, his eyes lit up when Chad said he wanted to hang out with him. Will felt bad for interrupting their date. "I'm so sorry. If I had known you two were hanging out tonight I would not have come over."

Abigail looked at Will and could tell he was upset. She faked a smile. "It's okay Will. I understand. I hope that everything works out." Abigail turned to Chad and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I will talk to you later." Abigail left upset.

After seeing Abigail off, Chad turned to Will. "I'm here for you man. Don't feel bad." Chad gave Will a hug.

At the top of the stairs, Kate had witnessed the whole scene. She noticed the way Will looked at Chad and how close the two boys were. "Wow," she thought to herself, "I think I have just stumbled across something." Kate disappeared before Chad and Will spotted her.

Downstairs, Chad looked at Will with assuring eyes. "We can talk in my room if you want."

Will tried to smile, but his thoughts were focused on Caroline. "Okay."


	28. Chapter 28 Thought You Should Know

**Chapter 28: Thought You Should Know – Monday, July 11th, 2011**

Gabi and T arrived at her apartment after her shift at the Brady Pub. She let him in and told him to make himself at home. T took a seat on the couch as Gabi headed to the fridge. "Want something to drink? We have water, orange juice, and beer."

"I'll just take a water." T leaned on the side of the couch as he watched Gabi grab two bottled waters from the fridge.

Gabi walked over and handed T a bottle and sat down next to him. "Thanks for hanging out with me tonight. You wouldn't believe what happened at work today. There was a huge blowup."

"What happened?" T opened the water bottle and took a drink.

"Well, Will and I were in the back doing inventory when Mrs. Brady came back to check on things. Will found out that Mrs. Brady fired Sonny because he's gay."

"Wait. Who is Sonny?" T had not met Sonny yet.

"Just this guy that is going to Salem U this fall. He got a job at the Brady Pub and became our friend." Gabi liked Sonny even if he was gay. "Anyway, I guess Mrs. Brady told Will's parents that Sonny did drugs which was a lie. Will got really angry about it and told me to leave so he could talk to his great-grandmother. So I left. I'm pretty sure they got into it because I saw Will leave later really upset, and Mrs. Brady stayed in the back for the rest of my shift."

"Sounds crazy. So is Will some pro-gay activist now?" T asked slightly joking. Gabi shrugged her shoulders. "So did Will ask about you and me at all when you worked with him today?"

"No. He didn't even ask about you. I don't think our plan worked." Gabi had hoped Will seeing her with T the night before would make him jealous. "He seemed jealous last night, but then there was nothing said about it today."

"Maybe we should step up our game." T gave Gabi a look.

"What do you mean?" Gabi took a sip from her water bottle.

T looked away to decide how he would describe his idea to Gabi. "I think it might help if Will caught us making out. I think that could really make him jealous." T gave Gabi a flirtatious smile.

Unsure of how to feel about the idea, Gabi tried to imagine kissing T. She found T attractive, but he was her and Will's friend. "I don't know. I guess I could see how it could work. I just don't think I am ready to go that far yet."

T mischievously smiled back hoping he could change her mind. "Well, we could at least practice and see if that helps calm your nerves."

Gabi smiled back playfully. "You wish!" She pushed him back a little. "It's not happening, T!" Gabi took a drink of water knowing that T was just trying to get some lip.

* * *

><p>Chad and Will were hanging out in Chad's room. Will took a seat on Chad's bed and looked around at the beautifully decorated room. Chad's room was so much bigger than Will's room at the pub. He had a king size bed in the middle of it all.<p>

Chad looked at Will and noticed that Will probably needed time to adjust to the surroundings. He did not want to push any questions on Will just yet. Chad went over to his stereo and turned it on. "Sometimes when I am in a deep mood, I come to my room and turn on the radio. There's only one radio station I listen to and that is 94.4FM." Chad decided to keep the volume lower than normal so that he and Will could talk to each other. "You ever listen to it?"

Will knew what Chad was trying to do and thought it was sweet. "Yeah. I especially like it when they do shout outs and requests on Saturday night."

Chad laughed. "Yeah. I listen to it, but sometimes it can be so cheesy. The songs are usually nothing special." Chad took a seat in the chair next to the bed.

Suddenly the door sprung open and Johnny walked in. Johnny ran over to his brother and gave him a hug. "Will! Mom said I could come say goodnight to you!"

Will smiled at his little brother. "Hey, little man." He noticed that Johnny had one of his toy soldiers in his hand. "Are you playing with your toy soldier?"

Johnny nodded his head. "Yeah. Mom said I could play with him when I take a bath. I have to take a bath and then go to sleep. I don't want to go to sleep yet."

Chad smiled at Johnny. "What do you want to do instead?"

Johnny looked over at Chad and gave him a funny look. "I want to play with you guys! I like music!"

Will kneeled down to Johnny. "Well, you have school tomorrow. You need your sleep, but maybe we can hang out tomorrow or something."

Johnny got excited and agreed. "Deal?"

Will and Chad both told Johnny that it was a deal. After saying goodnight, Johnny left the room and Chad closed the door behind him. Will sat back on the bed. Chad looked at Will and thought that maybe Will was now ready to talk about what happened. "So did something happen to you earlier?"

"I got into an argument with my great-grandma at the pub." Will admitted as he thought about what happened earlier.

"About what?" Chad tried to read Will. Will seemed disappointed and defeated. "Was it serious?"

Will nodded his head. "Yeah. I found out she manipulated my parents and Sonny's parents as well. My parents told me that I was not allowed to hang out with Sonny anymore because they believed that Sonny did drugs. It turns out that my great-grandma lied to them about that and just wanted to keep me away from Sonny because he is gay. She's very anti-gay, I guess." Will thought about how he came out to Caroline before he walked out on her. He figured that she probably would not tell anyone as she seemed very ashamed of it.

"Wow. That's crazy. I guess everyone is a little manipulative." Chad thought about his father and Abigail. "Did you tell Sonny what happened?"

"That's another weird thing about today. I've tried to call him all day and he never picks up. I leave voicemails and he never returns my calls. I've even sent text messages and still no response." Will wondered if Sonny was just avoiding him because his parents wanted them to stay away from each other. "It doesn't make sense for Sonny to ignore me like this. Not after everything we've been through."

Chad curiously looked Will over. He noticed that Will seemed really upset that he could not get in touch with Sonny. Chad wondered if Will only came to him because Sonny was not around. "You and Sonny seem really close."

Will looked up at Chad after his statement. Will sensed a bit of jealousy in Chad's voice. "No. We're just friends. Nothing is going on there."

Relief filled Chad's face. He was happy that Will and Sonny were not together. "I hoped not. That would be a bit awkward with you here and all."

Unfortunately, Will took Chad's statement the wrong way. He believed Chad was relieved to know Will was not gay and did not want him to be. "Yeah." Will's heart sank even lower at the thought of the possibility that Chad might feel the same way as Caroline about gay people.

* * *

><p>After his shift at the hospital, Nathan started changing in the locker room so that he could head home. He still felt guilty for outing Will to Jennifer the night before and wished he could take it back. He heard the door open and turned his head to see Melanie walk in. He quickly turned back to the locker to grab his things. He quickly changed his shirt as to not make things even more awkward.<p>

Melanie walked over to Nathan. She decided to talk to him about the weekend camping trip. "Hey Nathan."

Not turning to look at her, Nathan replied, "Hey." He put his wallet in his back pocket trying to get out of there as soon as possible.

"I talked to Dario and I know what happened this weekend." Melanie let out hoping that Nathan would look at her.

Nathan slowly turned around to face Melanie. "I'm sorry about all of that. It was stupid of me to say that to Dario. Who am I to say how you really feel and who you should be with?" Nathan turned back to the locker and closed it so he could leave.

"Nathan, I am sorry, too." Melanie looked in Nathan's eyes and could tell he was upset. "I keep making mistakes and hurting people. I wish I was perfect so that I could avoid these things."

"I'm not perfect either. I make mistakes all the time. I got into a fight with Dario. I almost killed Will. I made things worse last night." Nathan hated what he did to Will.

Melanie could see the frustration in Nathan's eyes. "What did you do?"

"I let out a family member's secret. I regret letting it slip like that and now I am not so sure what is going to happen." Ashamed, Nathan could barely look at Melanie.

Melanie watched Nathan and realized that she liked seeing Nathan in a less than perfect light. She smiled trying to cheer him up. "Secrets are hard to deal with, Nathan. So you slipped up… once…" Melanie was able to make eye contact with Nathan. "Do you have any idea how many secrets I have spilled to make things worse? Do you want to know something surprising?"

"What's that?"

"I currently have a secret and I think it's the longest I've gone without telling a single person. Surprising right?" Melanie gave Nathan a playful look hoping she could get a smile out of him.

Nathan smiled back. "Yeah. I guess it is. Congratulations."

"Thank you." Melanie noticed that even though Nathan smiled, he still felt bad for what he did. "You know what? I am going to tell you my secret, so that you don't feel so alone."

"Oh?" Nathan did not know if this was a good idea, but he decided to go with it. "Admit it. It's killing you that you have not told a single person and you just need to let it out." Nathan joked.

"You got me." Melanie winked at Nathan.

Nathan quickly got serious. "If you want to tell me I am open to it. I'll keep it in confidence. I promise." Nathan wanted to prove to himself that he still had the power to keep a secret.

Melanie pulled her finger from her mouth. "I saw Sonny and Will kissing on the pier," she let out rather quickly.

Nathan could not believe the secret Melanie revealed. The tone of his voice showed relief. "Wait. That's my secret. Well, kind of… I know Will is gay."

Melanie smiled. "It's a small world I guess. I'm so glad you already knew. That makes me feel a lot better."

"At least we can talk to each other about it, so we don't let it slip to anyone else." Melanie agreed. Even though Nathan still struggled with how to feel about Will's homosexuality, he liked that he and Melanie had something to bond over.

* * *

><p>At the Cheatin' Heart, Dario, who stood behind the bar, spotted Sonny as he walked in. He watched as Sonny took a seat at a table by himself. After Dario informed the other worker that he was taking a break, he made his way over with two drinks. Putting the drinks on the table, he smiled at Sonny. "How are you man?"<p>

Sonny smiled when he looked up to see Dario. "Better now. Thanks for the drink."

"No problem," Dario took a seat and looked down before asking his next question. "I heard that you've received some negative comments about being gay?"

Sonny eyed his drink as he thought about what his parents told him the night before. "Yeah. Apparently Will's family doesn't think too highly of me. It sucks."

Dario felt bad for Sonny. "I'm sorry man. How do you handle it when people say bad things to you about being gay? How do you handle the way people look at you?"

Sonny still eyed his drink as he answered. "I guess I am used to it now, but it still hurts like hell sometimes. I figure that I just need to live my life for me and not worry about what others think."

"What about your previous boyfriend or boyfriends? What were they like?" Dario wondered if Sonny had it easy when it came to finding guys to date.

Sonny finally looked up from his drink curious as to why Dario wanted to know about his past relationships. "I guess there was only one. I was in love with him, but all he wanted to do was screw around. Needless to say, it did not work out."

Dario suddenly felt a bit uncomfortable talking about Sonny's past relationship. He decided to share a bit with Sonny. "Growing up, I was taught that being gay was wrong and that I should avoid any kind of association with gay people," Dario admitted occasionally making eye contact with Sonny. Dario smiled at Sonny, "I'm glad that I met you because I know now that what I learned as a kid was wrong. It's hard not to like you."

Sonny smiled back as he saw the respect in Dario's eyes. "What can I say? It's the Kiriakis charm!" Sonny took a sip of his drink. "Thanks Dario. I'm glad I met you, too."

* * *

><p>Back at Chad's room in the Dimera Mansion, Chad looked at Will, who had been really quiet since he asked about Sonny. It seemed Will had shut down on him and did not want to talk about anything. With the music still playing, Chad wondered if they should just go to sleep. "Do you still need a place to stay the night?"<p>

Will looked up at Chad and immediately thought about how close they had gotten on their camping trip. Even if Chad had earlier told him he was happy he was not gay, Will wanted to feel close to Chad again. "Yeah. If it's not a problem."

Chad got up from the chair by the bed. "Do you want me to set you up in another room?" Chad sensed that maybe Will wanted to be alone because he was so quiet.

Feeling a bit brave, Will responded, "I thought that I could sleep in here with you so that we could get the best sleep ever." As soon as Will said it, his heart began to beat faster than ever. He had a sick feeling arise in his stomach as nerves started to question what he was thinking. Will did not show it in his face though.

Chad laughed at Will's suggestion as he thought he was joking, but when he looked at Will's face Chad realize that Will was serious. Chad's smiling face turned serious as well. "Okay," Chad agreed to the idea unsure of what this really meant. Chad believed it would not harm anyone if they shared a bed considering it was a king size bed and they had shared a sleeping bag a few nights before. "I'm going to brush my teeth and wash up. I'll see if I can find you a spare toothbrush. I'm sure I have a new one somewhere." Chad disappeared into his bathroom.

When Chad went into the bathroom, the nerves took over Will's body and could be seen on his face. He questioned his decision to share a bed with Chad. He wondered if Chad had agreed to cuddle with him as he suggested with his 'best sleep ever' comment. Will felt his heart beat faster and harder. He feared it would beat out of his chest. He feared that Chad would see right through him.

"Here you go." Chad walked out of the bathroom shirtless with an unopened toothbrush for Will to use. Chad noticed that when he came out Will jumped. "Are you okay, man?"

Will tried to cover. "Yeah. I'm fine. I was deep in thought and you kind of scared me."

"Ha. Sorry man. Don't worry… there are no monsters in this mansion. At least none that I know of." Chad winked at Will. After handing the toothbrush to Will, Chad gave Will a serious look. "Do me a favor and don't tell Abigail that we're sharing a bed."

Will gave Chad an uncertain look. "Yeah. Whatever you want."

Chad smiled. "I was kidding man. It's not like we're doing something bad." Chad patted Will on the back and motioned to the bathroom.

Will looked at the toothbrush and headed into the bathroom. He looked at himself in the mirror and began to feel guilty that he was making the moves on his cousin's boyfriend. The guilt ate at him.

* * *

><p>After a late dinner, Jennifer and Lucas walked into the living room at the Horton House and took a seat on the couch. "How does it feel to be back in Salem?"<p>

Lucas gave Jennifer an uneasy look. "I never know what to expect when I come back to visit. There are certain things I miss about Salem, but then I remember how I felt for most of my experience here, and I am glad I got out of here."

Jennifer understood where Lucas was coming from, but found that true about everywhere outside of Salem as well. "So what about this time around?"

"Well, I knew that I needed to come back to Salem to see Will. My mother told me that Will hasn't been doing too well. When I first saw him yesterday he put a smile on his face, but after talking to him, I really think something is going on there." Lucas wished he knew how to get Will to open up.

Jennifer immediately thought about Nathan revealing to her that Will is gay. She bit her lip wondering if Lucas had any clue about Will's secret. "Do you have any idea what could be bothering Will?"

Lucas shrugged his shoulders. "Honestly, I am not sure. He could be upset with me for living in Hong Kong. He could be upset that his mother is marrying EJ. All I know is that Sami and I struck a nerve when we talked to him at the pub yesterday. He practically blew up on us when we told him that he couldn't hang out with Sonny anymore."

Jennifer gave her brother a questioning look. She wondered if Lucas and Sami did not want Will to be in a relationship with Sonny. "Why would you do that?"

"We're afraid that Will will get caught up in drugs because Sonny is into drugs." Lucas shared not really believing Will's blow up was about drugs.

The idea that Sonny did drugs threw Jennifer off a bit. She almost laughed at the idea. "Drugs? Sonny doesn't do drugs. Where did you hear that?"

"Caroline told us that she caught him at the pub with it or something like that." Lucas started having doubts about it because Jennifer seemed sure about Sonny not being into drugs. "I'm not so sure about Sonny and the drugs, but I do know that Will is keeping some secret with the way he shut down on us yesterday."

Jennifer gave Lucas a knowing look. "Lucas, I can tell you right now that this has nothing to do with drugs. Sonny would never get caught up in that."

Lucas noticed that Jennifer had this look about her as if she knew something else. He wondered if she had just implied that she knew the secret Will was keeping. "Wait. Do you know anything about Will? Have you noticed anything odd about him?"

Jennifer began to get nervous. "No. I can't say that I have… not directly." As soon as Jennifer answered she wished she had not added that last part.

Lucas picked up on it. "So you do know something about Will, but you know through second-hand knowledge." Lucas noticed that Jennifer did not want to open her mouth anymore. "Jen, if I am going to be able to help my son, I need to know what is going on with him. Please tell me what you know."

As Lucas pled his case, Abigail began to walk down the stairs. She froze when she heard her mother answer. "Will is gay," Jennifer let out. "I found out last night. You need to approach this very carefully, Lucas. This is serious and he needs to know you love him still."

Lucas immediately went into denial mode. He rose from the couch shaking his head. "No. He's not. You don't know that for sure because you heard it from someone else." Lucas became angry over the idea of Will being gay. "Who told you this?"

Not wanting to get Nathan involved, Jennifer decided not to tell Lucas. "Lucas, that does not matter. It was family and that's all I am telling you." Jennifer stood up and tried to calm Lucas down. "Will is going to need you to be there for him. You can't freak out on him about this."

"It's not true, Jen. There's no way in hell my son is gay!" Lucas put his glass down figuring he needed to be alone. "I need to go."

Abigail quickly made it back to her room still in shock over the revelation about Will being gay. She knew Will was with Chad and that bothered her. She then remembered Will kissing Chad after Chad performed CPR on Will. Abigail began to wonder if Will had feelings for Chad.


	29. Chapter 29 Late Night

**Chapter 29: Late Night – Monday, July 11th, 2011**

It was late Monday night when Dario and Sonny arrived at his apartment after Dario's shift. Dario opened the door and allowed Sonny to walk in first. They found Gabi sitting on the couch alone watching TV. "Hey Gabi." Sonny waved at her.

Gabi turned and smiled back. "Oh. Hey guys. What are you two up to this late?"

Dario headed to the fridge and grabbed a couple of beers. "We're just going to hang out. Continue our fun from the Cheatin' Heart!" Dario looked the place over. "Did T leave already?"

Sonny made his way to the couch and took a seat next to Gabi. "T? Who's T? Are you already moving on?" Sonny asked slightly joking.

"T is a guy I know from high school." Gabi wondered if she should tell Dario and Sonny the truth about T. She could lie and tell them that she was moving on with T, or she could tell the truth and explain that they were trying to make Will jealous. She looked at her brother as he took a seat next to Sonny. "T went home earlier and we're just hanging out right now. Kind of like you two."

"Yeah… I guess…" Dario gave Gabi a weird look as he questioned what she seemed to be implying. Sonny smiled and gave a quick wink to Dario.

"Sonny, did you ever call Will back?" Gabi asked as she turned down the TV.

"Call him back? Will never called me." Sonny pulled out his phone and saw he had no missed calls.

"Yeah. He kept calling you all day at work. He said you never answered or called back." Gabi wondered if Sonny was lying, but then wondered why he would lie about that.

"That's weird. I guess I'll give him a call now." Sonny stood up from the couch and went over by the front door to call Will. Unfortunately the call went to voicemail. Sonny decided to leave one. "Hey, Will. It's Sonny. I heard you called. Give me a call back." Sonny wondered if Will was upset with him.

* * *

><p>EJ walked down the stairs at the Dimera Mansion. Stefano came out of the living room and greeted his son. "Elvis, you're here. I thought you just left."<p>

"Yeah, Kate just left because Allie had a bad dream and wants her favorite teddy bear. I guess she left it with Lucas at the Salem Inn." EJ noticed that Stefano needed to talk to him about something. "What is it?"

"I went over to your sister's house to talk to Abraham about Rafe," Stefano shared.

"And?"

"Well, Abraham told me nothing about Rafael trying to get in contact with him. I did tell him to be careful though." Stefano did not like that Rafe still seemed to be a nuisance even in jail.

"What did you expect? You know Abe really can't tell us these things." EJ could see the frustration in his father's face. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm more inclined to think that Rafe is playing games with us and I don't like annoying little bugs that take my attention away from more important things." Stefano motioned his hand across his neck. "I say we get rid of the guy."

"Who are you going to get rid of?" Sami asked walking down the stairs.

EJ immediately looked up at Sami fearing what she might have heard. "How is Allie doing?"

Sami made her way to the foot of the stairs. "She just fell asleep. I guess we could call Kate and tell her that she doesn't have to get Mr. Bear." Sami glanced over at Stefano who avoided all eye contact. "So who are you going to get rid of?"

EJ looked over to his father and realized he would have to answer. "One of our guys. He's doing a poor job and keeps leaving a paper trail."

* * *

><p>Kate arrived at the Salem Inn. When she made it into his room, she received a text from Sami saying that Allie fell asleep. "Well, I guess this is a wasted trip. Your daughter fell asleep without her stuffed bear."<p>

Still thinking about his talk with Jennifer, Lucas handed Allie's teddy bear to his mother. "Well, here he is just in case."

Kate picked up on Lucas's discomfort. "Lucas, are you okay?"

Lucas turned back to Kate. "I'm not sure. I hoped that this trip would be more relaxing, but it's been the opposite."

"I can tell that you're upset about something. Do you mind telling me what happened?" Kate took a seat waiting for Lucas to tell her what happened.

Lucas took a seat on his bed. "I went over Jennifer's earlier tonight."

"Oh. Was Dr. McSleaze there?" Kate asked assuming Daniel was the reason for Lucas' bad mood.

"No. This has nothing to do with Daniel." Lucas decided to come out with it. "Jennifer told me that Will is gay."

Kate rested her hand on her chest. "What?" She flashed back to what she witnessed at the Dimera Mansion when she stood at the top of the stairs. The moment she saw between Chad and Will had just been confirmed. Kate wondered how she missed the fact that her grandson was gay.

"I'm not too sure what to think about it. I really don't believe it." Lucas admitted clearly in denial still.

"I think it's possible, Lucas." Kate's mind began to wonder on how she finally had the answer to breaking up Chad and Abigail: Her own grandson. Her thoughts went back to Lucas. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to straighten things out with Will." Lucas looked into a mirror wondering how he would approach Will.

* * *

><p>Back in Chad's room, Will and Chad laid in Chad's bed next to each other laughing about the things that happened on their camping trip. "Oh man. The look on Dario's face was priceless when Nathan made that comment about Melanie."<p>

Will rested the back of his head on his hands. "Yeah. I figured that something would happen between Dario and Nathan on the trip, but I did not expect them to have a fist fight. I guess when a girl gets in the middle of things, that's what happens."

"Kind of like you and me when we were fighting over Mia." Chad thought about how he and Will did not like each other then. "So much has changed since then. Mia is gone and we are the best of friends."

Will liked that the dynamic between him and Chad changed. "Do you think Dario and Nathan are capable of pulling off being best friends like us?" Will turned his head towards Chad. The two began to laugh as they both said, "No."

Chad turned to his side facing Will making eye contact with him. "I'm glad you came to me tonight. It means a lot that you trust me." Chad watched Will as he smiled back at him. "I hope that we'll always be friends. You're someone I never want to lose in my life."

Will could not help but feel the love between him and Chad. He was tempted to tell Chad how he felt, but before he could say anything Chad's cell phone made a noise. Chad turned around and grabbed his phone. "Who is it?"

"Abigail sent me a text." Chad read the text to himself. Abigail asked him what he and Will were doing. Chad responded that they were going to bed. Abigail quickly texted back asking if they were in separate rooms. Chad thought about what to say to her. He decided to lie to her and tell her that Will was in a separate room. After saying goodnight, Chad put his phone back on the side table. He turned back to Will and yawned.

Looking to the ceiling, Will thought about Chad and Abigail's relationship. "Chad, are you and Abigail the real deal?"

Chad gave a weird look as he thought the question came out of nowhere. "Honestly I don't know the answer to that question. All I know is that you and I are."

Will turned to Chad to make sure he heard right. "What?"

Chad laughed at Will. "You know… we are the gayest straight guys I know. I like it this way though."

Will felt uncomfortable, but tried to laugh it off. "Yeah. I like it that way, too."

Chad turned his back to Will. "We should go to sleep. Work tomorrow will come early. Goodnight William."

Will turned his back to Chad. "Goodnight… Chad…wick." The guys laughed one last time before closing their eyes.

* * *

><p>Kate made her way through Salem Park to get to her car. She smiled as she thought about Will being gay. She hoped that Will was okay and that he did not hate himself for being gay. She also hoped that Chad felt the same way about Will. She needed to figure out a way to help her grandson get into Chad's arms. She needed to find a way for Chad to fall in love with Will and forget about Abigail.<p>

Kate questioned if she should tell Will that she knew and wanted to help him or if she should just manipulate things to get Chad and Will together. No matter what, Kate knew that Abigail's days were numbered. "Abigail Deveraux won't know what hit her."

Kate almost tripped on something and turned around to see what it was. "AH!" she screamed as she saw a body on the ground. She checked the guy's pulse and realized he was dead.


	30. Chapter 30 The Morning After

**Chapter 30: The Morning After – Tuesday, July 12th, 2011**

Early the next morning, Kate sat next to Stefano in Roman's office giving her statement on what happened the night before. Kate could not shake what she came across at the park. "All I remember is walking through the park to get to my car and there the man was… just lying there."

"What did you do next?" Roman asked taking a few notes.

"Well, I went over to check for a pulse to see if he was alive. But there was nothing and that's when I saw the wound. There was blood everywhere."

"So the man was not breathing?" Roman looked up from his pad.

"Did you not hear what my wife said? She said the man was dead." Stefano was ready to get out of there.

"Technically, you're not supposed to be in here, but I let it slide. Please don't tell me how to do my job, Stefano." Roman turned to Kate. "Well?"

"He was not breathing," Kate answered after trying to calm her husband.

"Did the victim look familiar to you at all?" Roman pulled out a picture of the man's face.

"No. Never saw the man in my life." Kate lied.

Roman tried to read Kate's face to see if she lied. He looked over to Stefano to make sure he did not recognize the man. "Well, that's all I need from you here. Is there anyway you could come with me to the crime scene so I make sure I have it all mapped out right?"

"Is this necessary?" Stefano asked rather impatiently.

"Look, this man was murdered and I want to make sure I catch whoever did this to him. Kate might be our only witness on what happened that night." Roman turned to Kate to answer.

Kate nodded her head. "Yeah. I can go back to the park."

Stefano stepped in. "I'll drive her over there."

* * *

><p>At the Dimera Mansion, Chad's alarm went off in his room. Chad opened his eyes to find his head resting on Will's chest and Will's arms wrapped around him. Chad quickly removed himself from Will's grasp and avoided making eye contact with him. Will watched as Chad walked towards the bathroom. "I'm going to take a shower first," Chad announced as he disappeared into the bathroom.<p>

Will sat up and looked around. He smiled thinking about how Chad cuddled on him. It was weird that Chad did not say anything about waking up the way that they did. Will expected Chad to crack a joke or freak out. Will wondered if Chad felt the same way and did not think anything of it. He figured Chad had to feel the same draw and connection that Will felt when they were together. Will smiled again as he heard the shower come on in the bathroom.

Will decided to brush his teeth. He walked into the bathroom and headed straight for the sink. Chad heard Will come in and decided to pop his head out of the shower. He pulled the shower curtain back a bit and watched Will as he began to brush his teeth. Will looked in the mirror and saw Chad staring at him. "How did you sleep?" Chad asked as he pulled his head back into the shower.

"As good as ever." Will replied in a flirting manner. "You know… you better not get addicted to cuddling with me."

Chad rinsed his body in the shower as he thought about Will's comment. He felt weird about the closeness he felt towards Will. "I feel a bit awkward that I get the best sleep when I cuddle with you. Don't you think that's weird?"

Will did not know how to respond to Chad's question. He decided to go with the 'straight' answer. "A little." Will hated himself for selling out again. "But what can you do when it's the best sleep ever?"

Chad popped his head out of the shower again. Will noticed that Chad had styled his hair with shampoo in a funny way and could not help but smile. Chad looked at Will a bit nervous about what he was about to say. "I won't tell anyone if you don't tell anyone."

Will's heart skipped a beat when he heard Chad. "I… I won't tell anyone. It's our secret."

Chad smiled back. "Awesome. I just don't want anyone to think that we're… you know… together like that. We can be cuddle buddies without it being too gay, right?" Chad pulled his head back in the shower to rinse his hair.

Once again, Chad crushed Will's hopes, but this time was different. Will looked in the mirror and smiled. "Right." Will thought about the fact that Chad was okay with being cuddle buddies. Will strangely found himself content with the idea of being able to cuddle with Chad when he wanted. Will knew he was sexually attracted to Chad, but his attraction to Chad was deeper than that. The connection was deeper. Will heard the shower head turn off. He looked in the mirror and saw Chad pull back the curtains to grab a towel. Will watched as Chad dried off.

Chad wrapped the towel around his waist and looked into the mirror to make eye contact with Will. "Get in the shower! I'll find you some clothes to wear!" Chad walked into the bedroom leaving Will alone in the bathroom. Will took off his underwear and got in the shower. He questioned if he knew what he was doing.

* * *

><p>Sonny walked into the Kiriakis Mansion after waking up at Dario and Gabi's apartment. He accidentally stayed the night after hanging out with Dario and Gabi. Adrienne heard the door close and made her way to the foyer. "Jackson Steven Kiriakis! Where have you been? I've been worried sick because you weren't in your room this morning!"<p>

Sonny rolled his eyes at his mother. "Mom, I'm okay. I crashed on the couch at Dario and Gabi's last night. I'm sorry that I worried you."

"I'm glad that you're fine, but next time please give me a call so that I know that you're okay." Adrienne walked over and gave Sonny a hug.

"…Or don't come back at all." Victor retorted as he walked down the stairs. "You need to be more responsible, Sonny. There's no time for you to dilly dally around when there's work to be done."

Sonny watched as Victor came to the foot of the stairs. "I'm sorry," he said unsure of what exactly he did wrong.

"You'll never learn anything if you do only what you want to do in your life. At the very least, you could meet the status quo and make your family proud." Victor headed into the dining room.

Sonny looked back to his mother. "What was that about?"

Adrienne looked down because she and Justin had not told Sonny how his sexual orientation upset Victor. "Well, your uncle knows that you're gay and he's not too happy about it."

Sonny's day took a nose dive with that news. "Great."

Adrienne put her hand on Sonny's shoulder. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Trying to hide how he felt, Sonny gave his mother a kiss. "I can't. I have to get ready for work. I'm running late." Sonny made his way up the stairs as Adrienne watched with a look of concern.

* * *

><p>Back at the Dimera Mansion, EJ was reading the Salem Spectator. On the front page there was a story and a picture of the man who died in the park the night before. EJ studied the picture after reading the story and wondered what went wrong. The man who died in the park the night before was the informant that let him know about Rafe. EJ stood up and threw the paper on the couch. "How the hell did this happen?"<p>

Sami walked in immediately noticing that EJ was upset. "What's wrong, EJ?" She watched him as he put his hand down from his face.

"I don't want to talk about it right now." EJ tried to calm himself.

Having seen EJ throw the paper down, Sami went over and grabbed it. She looked at the front page story. "Did this guy work for you?"

"Yeah," EJ let out without really thinking.

Sami realized that EJ and Stefano might have had the guy killed because of what she overheard them talking about the night before when Stefano mentioned getting rid of one of their guys for leaving a paper trail. Before Sami could ask EJ about her theory, Chad and Will walked in.

EJ immediately found something to calm him down when he noticed Will wearing Chad's clothes. "Will… interesting look. Your pants are rather baggy and that shirt is really tight on you."

Chad put his arm around Will. "I think my clothes look pretty damn good on Will."

Sami turned around and gave Will a hug. "Good morning!" Sami noticed that there was something different about Will. "You're not still mad at me are you? There's something different about you."

Will shrugged. "I don't really want to talk about all of that now."

Sami grabbed a few forms from the desk. "Well, can you do me a favor then? Could you please deliver these forms to the hospital?"

Will looked the forms over. "Sure. I guess I really have no choice since you're sort of my boss." Will looked over to Chad. "I'll call you later."

After Will left, Chad's phone went off. He received a text from Stefano. After reading it, he looked to EJ, "Father wants us to meet him at the Salem Park ASAP."

"Okay, then." EJ walked over to Sami and gave her a kiss. "I'll talk to you later, sweetheart." Sami watched as Chad and EJ left. She continued to worry that EJ might be in trouble.

* * *

><p>At the Brady Pub, Gabi walked back into Caroline's office to check on her before she started her shift. "Good Morning, Mrs. Brady."<p>

Caroline looked up from her desk. "Oh hey, Gabi." Caroline tried to smile, but after what happened with Will, her life was not the same.

Gabi sensed the sadness Caroline felt. "Were you able to make up with Will? I know that he'll come around at some point."

"Unfortunately, I have not seen Will since yesterday. I doubt he's going to come in to help with inventory today, but I am not too worried about that as we are ahead on that." Caroline tried to focus on work so she would not have to focus on Will, but she could not stop thinking about him. She looked at Gabi. "Promise me you won't give up on Will. Bring him back, please."

Confused about what Caroline was really asking, Gabi agreed. "I will, Mrs. Brady. He'll come back and realize it was all a big misunderstanding." Gabi headed to the other room to clock in. Caroline sat there wondering if she should have taken Will to church with her more often.

Gabi made her way to the bar when Abigail walked in. Abigail immediately thought about what she overheard the night before at her house when she spotted Gabi. "Hey Gabi. I'll take a Caramel Macchiato." Abigail handed Gabi money. She wondered if she should tell Gabi that her ex-boyfriend was gay.

"So what are you up to today?" Gabi started making Abigail's drink.

"I have to get to work soon. After that I am not so sure." Abigail felt obligated to tell Gabi the truth. "Gabi, there's something I need to talk to you about."

"Sure… what's up?" Gabi looked up for a moment.

"I overheard my mom talking to my Uncle Lucas yesterday. They were talking about Will." Abigail began to question how she was going to put it out there for Gabi.

Caroline walked out from the back and overheard Abigail talking to Gabi. Caroline realized that Abigail was about to tell Gabi Will's secret. She could not allow that to happen because she feared Gabi would give up on Will. "Gabi!"

Abigail and Gabi looked over to Caroline. Abigail was just about to tell Gabi that Will was gay, but stopped when she heard Caroline say Gabi's name. Gabi turned to Caroline, "Yes, Mrs. Brady?"

"I need your help. Could you come with me to the back?" Caroline smiled knowing she stopped Abigail in time.

"Sure." Gabi handed Abigail her drink. "You'll have to tell me later. Call me."

Abigail took a sip of her drink. "Yeah. Okay." Abigail walked out thinking about how devastated Gabi would be when she found out.

* * *

><p>At Salem University Hospital, Melanie spotted Sonny walking by the nurse's station. "Hey Sonny! How's your internship going?"<p>

Sonny smiled back. "It's going well. I met your father yesterday. He's a really nice guy and a good doctor."

"I know, right? I'm so lucky to have him as a father." Melanie smiled. The elevator doors opened and Will walked out. Melanie noted the way Sonny looked at him as Will walked through the doors into the hall. She grinned as she thought about the kiss she witnessed on the pier. "You really like him, don't you?"

Sonny snapped out of his daze, "Who?"

Melanie slightly hit Sonny's arm thinking he was just playing dumb. "Will, of course. I saw the way you were looking at him."

"Sure," Sonny admitted. "Will is a great guy, but I have to stay away from him."

Melanie scratched her head. "Why is that?"

"I guess there was some family drama this past weekend. Family wants us to stay away from each other. Of course, that would not stop me, but Will isn't returning my calls anyway, so I guess he wants me to stay away from him as well." Sonny wondered if Will's family got to him about fighting his sexuality. He wondered if Will decided to repress his feelings. He hated not knowing.


	31. Chapter 31 Bad Idea

**Chapter 31: Bad Idea – Tuesday, July 12th, 2011**

While Kate talked Roman through the crime scene at the park, Stefano, EJ, and Chad watched from a distance talking about the informant's death. Stefano turned to his sons. "I don't understand how this happened. Did you set up a meeting with the informant last night?"

EJ tried to contain his frustration as he talked to Stefano. "No, father. I told you already I set up to meet with him tonight… not last night."

Stefano looked around. "They why in God's name was he here last night? It does not make sense for him to be out here when none of us contacted him."

"Do you have any idea who would know about this guy and want him dead?" Chad asked trying hard to keep calm in this situation.

Stefano placed his hand over his chin. "I have my suspicions, but I would rather not talk about them here."

Roman and Kate walked back over. "Well, we are done here. Thanks Kate for your help."

Kate smiled at Roman. "Just doing my civic duty."

Roman turned to Stefano. "Stefano, I hope I don't have to remind you not to get involved by having your own investigation."

Stefano calmly smiled at Roman. "You don't, but you just did." Stefano put his arm around Kate. "I just want to know if my wife is going to be okay and that no one will be out to kill her."

"Well, at this point, we have no reason to believe Kate is in any danger." Roman replied.

* * *

><p>At the Dimera Mansion, Sami took a sip of water as she continued to worry about EJ's possible involvement in the informant's murder. She turned around when she heard Allie's voice come from behind her. "Allie!" Sami smiled as she picked up her daughter. "Where's your father?"<p>

Lucas and Mary walked into the living room and Allie pointed to her father. Lucas grabbed Allie and put her on the floor. "Allie, why don't you go with Mary so you can play with your brother and sister."

"Okay." Allie responded as she took Mary's hand and left.

Sami watched her daughter leave and then glared at Lucas. "You can't let me spend more than a second with my daughter who lives halfway across the world?"

"I sent Allie away because there's something I need to tell you, and I don't want her to be around when I tell you." Lucas replied rather annoyed.

"Okay… what do you want to talk to me about?" Sami asked a bit concerned.

Lucas smirked. "You know how your grandmother told us that Will and Sonny were secret involved drugs?"

"Yeah… and we stopped Will and Sonny from hanging out." Sami wondered where Lucas's question would lead.

"Well, she lied. You see, Sonny and Will do have a secret, but it has nothing to do with drugs. Sonny and Will's secret is that they are gay." Lucas hated saying it out loud as it made it more real. He did not take pride in knowing that his son was gay and would rather refute it.

Sami was shocked. She replayed what Lucas said over and over in her head to let it sink in. "Lucas, that's a big secret. Are you sure?"

Lucas frowned. "I'm pretty positive it's true."

Sami thought about how her grandmother tried to tell them it was drugs and then remembered her phone conversation with Adrienne about the whole situation. "I can't believe this." She thought about the blow up with Will at the pub and it all made sense. Will was surprised when they said it was about drugs. Will had asked her to trust him and she denied him that trust. Sami felt extremely guilty about everything.

* * *

><p>At Salem University Hospital, Abigail and Sonny were in a room together filing some forms for the doctors. Abigail kept thinking about Will's secret and wondered if she should tell Gabi and Chad about it. She looked over at Sonny and figured he would be the best person to ask for advice. "Sonny, there's something I want to talk to you about."<p>

Sonny closed a drawer and turned to Abigail. "Go ahead. You know I'm an open book."

"How was it – for you – when you came out to your friends and family?" Abigail asked putting a file away.

"Well, it was hard of course. Part of me feared that my parents and friends would reject me when I told them that I was gay." Sonny shared.

"Did anyone reject you?"

"Well, no one in my family did. As you know my parents still love me and are heavily involved in my life. My brothers were the same way. Unfortunately, I lost a few friends because it freaked them out I guess." Sonny thought about how Victor did not seem too happy about it, but shook the thought out of his mind. "For the most part I was pretty lucky." Sonny gave Abigail an inquisitive look. "May I ask why you want to know?"

Abigail sighed. "I know that Will is gay and I'm thinking about telling Gabi."

Filled with worry, Sonny walked over to his cousin and put his hands on her shoulders. "You cannot do that!" Sonny gave Abigail a serious look. "If you tell anyone Will's secret, it will only make things worse for him." Sonny looked away as he thought about how Will's family stepped in to stop Will from hanging out with him. He remembered thinking that Will's family might have talked Will into repressing how he felt.

Abigail gave Sonny a concerned look. "What is it? How could it make things worse for Will?"

Sonny looked back to Abigail. "Will's not ready to come out, and I believe he's very depressed about it. It would put a lot of pressure on him if everyone knew his secret before he had the time to accept it himself."

"I feel sorry for Will as this must be really hard for him," Abigail admitted. She looked at her cousin and got an idea. "You should help him." Abigail believed that Sonny's experience could help Will come to terms with his homosexuality. She also thought that if Sonny spent more time with Will that Sonny could distract Will from Chad.

Sonny wished he could help Will. "I can't help him because he won't let me. He's ignoring me right now."

"Try again! You have to keep trying, so you can help him." Abigail did not want to let up on Sonny. She also did not want to talk to Will herself because she did not want Will to know that she knew his secret.

Sonny backed off from Abigail. "Why do you want me to help him so bad? How did you find out anyway?"

Abigail knew she could not tell Sonny everything. "I'm just worried about him. You said he's depressed." Abigail began to read Sonny's face to see if he would do what she wanted him to do. She decided to push him a bit more to convince him to talk to Will. "I found out when I overheard my mother talking to Will's dad about it."

Sonny's eyes widened. "Will's dad knows?" Abigail shook her head. "I should call him. I hope he picks up this time." Sonny quickly dialed Will's number and let it ring. Unfortunately, it went to voicemail. Sonny looked at Abigail and left a message.

* * *

><p>At the Brady Pub, Gabi delivered drinks to a table when Will walked in. Surprised to see him, Gabi walked over to Will. "Will. Are you okay?"<p>

Will looked past Gabi. "I'm okay."

Gabi gave Will a kiss on the cheek, making Will look at her. "If you need to talk, I am here for you. I hope you know that."

"Thanks, Gabi." Will tried to smile. Caroline walked out from the back and spotted Gabi and Will talking to each other. She wondered if she should go over and say anything. Will looked over to her and excused himself from Gabi. Walking over to Caroline, Will softly let out a hello.

"What are you doing here?" Caroline avoided making eye contact with her great-grandson.

"I came here to talk to you. I wanted to finish our conversation." Will did not know what they would say to each other, but he knew he did not like how they ended things.

Caroline nodded her head and led him to the back so they could talk in private. She looked into Will's eyes and gave him a heartbreaking look. "I should start with an apology, Will. I am sorry. I have tried to protect you from this your whole life."

Will knew that Caroline would not be sorry for what she did because she saw it as protecting him. "How long did you know?"

Full of fear and discomfort, Caroline looked down as she answered, "I've known since you were a little boy."

Will noticed tears forming in his great-grandmother's eyes. Water began to fill his eyes, too, as he could feel the shame Caroline felt. "I want you to know that even though I am upset with you right now, I still love you, and I always will."

Caroline tried to smile at Will. She realized this was her in on trying to convince Will that he should seek help. "It's not over yet, Will. We can still get you help. I can pay for it and they can fix you."

Shocked by the suggestion, Will stepped back from his great-grandmother. "I don't need to be fixed…" A thought came to Will's head. "I think it would be a good idea if I moved out."

Back out in the front, Kinsey walked in and spotted Gabi. "Gabi, do you have a sec?"

Holding a tray full of plates, Gabi turned to Kinsey. "I'm kind of swamped right now."

"I really just need a sec. I wanted to know if we can meet up later when you're not working. I want to talk to you about something." Kinsey gave Gabi a smile.

Gabi got nervous. "Sure. I'll give you a call."

"Awesome. Thanks!" Kinsey left the pub. Gabi feared Kinsey wanted to talk to her about her hanging out with T.

* * *

><p>Adrienne sat Dario down at one of the tables at the Cheatin' Heart. Dario knocked on the table as he took a seat. "What's up, boss?"<p>

Adrienne motioned at the bartender to bring her a drink. "I wanted to talk to you about Sonny."

"What about him?" Dario wondered if he was in trouble.

Adrienne looked down at her finger as she moved it on the table. "I wanted to make sure that he's okay and that you're okay as well."

Dario thought about Sonny staying the night and tried to read Adrienne. "Is this about him staying the night at my place last night?"

"Well, not really. I think it's good that he has a friend that he can talk to in Salem. He needs a place to get away." Adrienne thanked the bartender as he brought her drink. She turned to Dario and smiled. "But I want to make sure that he's not annoying you or coming on too strong with you," Adrienne let out feeling a bit awkward about what she just implied.

"Strong?" Dario wondered what Adrienne meant, but then realized she basically asked him if Sonny had made a move on him. "Uh… no. Sonny… hasn't done anything to make me uncomfortable… I mean… yeah… maybe there was... nope... he didn't..." Dario stopped talking as he did not want to get into it with Adrienne.

Adrienne felt the same awkwardness that Dario felt. She decided to let that part of the conversation go. "How is he handling everything? I know that he took it hard when we told him about Will's family's reaction."

"When I hung out with him last night, he seemed fine. He's disappointed, but I think he's dealing with it all the best he can." Dario answered a bit relieved that Adrienne did not ask him any more questions about Sonny coming onto him.

Adrienne hated the fact that she asked Sonny to stay away from Will. "I guess that is good. I'm a bit concerned that Sonny might have feelings for Will. Do you know anything about that?"

Dario began to feel uncomfortable again. He wondered why Adrienne would ask that since Will was straight. "I don't think Sonny has feelings – like that – for Will. I think he just sees Will as a friend."

Adrienne looked down. "I know that Will is a good guy, but I hope that Sonny only sees him as a friend. Things could get ugly if he likes Will more than that." Adrienne looked up at Dario as he agreed.

"Yeah," Dario let out still feeling uncomfortable. "I should get back to work." Dario stood up and glanced out the window. He did a double take because he saw someone staring at him through the window from outside. When he looked out the window again the person was not there anymore. Dario scratched his head as he walked over to the bar. The person he saw looked so familiar. He shook it off believing his mind was only playing tricks on him.

* * *

><p>Will made his way up to his bedroom at the pub and looked at his things. When he walked into the pub earlier, he did not think he would be moving out. Will knew he had to get out of there, but he wondered where he would go now. Will pulled out his phone and dialed a number. Hearing Chad's voice answer, Will suddenly got nervous. "Hey… Chad."<p>

"What's up, Will?" Chad smiled when he heard Will's voice.

"I need to ask you a favor… it's kind of an awkward favor I guess because it's kind of sudden." Will held his neck as he waited for Chad to respond.

"Yeah… Don't worry. Ask away." Chad responded without a thought.

"Do you think there's any way that you could talk to Stefano about me possibly moving in?" As soon as Will asked the question, he realized how desperate he sounded.

Chad got excited by Will's favor. "Yeah man! I'll talk to him. When did you want to move in?"

Will felt better about asking when he heard how excited Chad sounded, but he felt bad that it was short notice. "If possible, I'd like to move in… sometime tonight. I know that's not enough time… but…"

"Will… it's not a problem." Chad interrupted. "I'll talk to him now."

Will smiled. "Thanks." Chad and Will said their goodbyes and hung up. Will put his phone in his pocket hoping that everything would work out.


	32. Chapter 32 Recognition

**Chapter 32: Recognition – Tuesday, July 12th, 2011**

Stefano, Kate, and Chad sat at a table in Java Café discussing Will's moving into the mansion. "I think it will be good having Will in the mansion. He'll be with his family. I really enjoyed it when he lived with us for the short time last summer. Extremely intelligent young man."

"I forgot that he lived with you last summer. That was before I found out I was a Dimera." Chad could not believe in a few months it would be a year since he discovered Stefano was his father.

Kate listened to Chad and Stefano talk about Will moving in when she got an idea. She looked at Stefano and Chad with frustration. "Oh no… I don't know if Will moving in is going to work out."

Chad and Stefano turned their attention to Kate. Chad worried that he would have to call Will back to tell him he could not move in. "What's wrong?"

Kate scratched the top of her forehead before answering. "Well, I just remembered that all the empty rooms are going through renovations for this project I am doing for Hearth & Home."

Stefano gave her a suspicious look. "Every room?"

"Yes. Every empty bedroom. Each room will have it's own theme and we are highlighting a few rooms per issue. It's already planned out that way as we need every one of those bedrooms now because we are doing all the photos and decorating at once." Kate said rather convincingly. "So I guess that would mean Will would not have a room to sleep in… unless…"

"Unless what?" Chad asked causing Kate to smile inside. She had him where she wanted him. Stefano scratched his head as he turned his attention to Kate awaiting her answer.

"Unless Will bunked with you in your room… I mean, if that's not a problem to you, of course. It would just be temporary until we finished with the photo shoots after the renovations." Kate looked to Chad hoping he would agree with her suggestion. If he did not, she would have to think of another way to get Chad and Will together.

"I don't have a problem with that, but I should probably run it across Will to make sure he's cool with it." Chad pulled out his phone to check the time. "I told Will I would help him pack. I'm going to head over there now." Chad stood up and left.

Stefano began to shake his head at Kate because he still did not fully believe her story about using every bedroom. "I had no idea that you had this project going on. You are using every single room for your magazine? That's a lot of rooms, Katherine."

Kate looked at Stefano. "Yes. It's a recent idea. I meant to tell you, but things got busy and then last night…" Kate shuddered as she thought about finding the dead body in the park.

Stefano held Kate's hand and gave Kate a serious look. "Don't worry, darling. You will be fine."

Kate pulled out her phone and began to mess with it. She stood up and smiled back at Stefano. "I need to take care of some things. I will see you tonight." Kate gave Stefano a kiss and left. Stefano began to scratch his head. He wondered if Kate was up to something.

* * *

><p>Back at the Dimera Mansion, Lucas and Sami continued to talk about Will. Sami tried not to keep to her thoughts because it only depressed her more. "We need to do something for Will to let him know that you and I are there for him, Lucas. He needs to know that his parents love him and support him. He needs to know that we are safe to talk to."<p>

Lucas knew Sami was right. "I don't even like the idea that my son is gay, but I do agree that we need to make sure he knows that he can talk to us. Will needs to know that he can talk about it with us."

Sami tried to ignore how Lucas felt about Will being gay. Before she could say anything about it, EJ walked in with a smile completely ignoring Lucas. "I've got good news, Samantha!" EJ gave Sami a kiss noticing that she seemed down. "Is something the matter?"

"I'm fine," Sami replied. "What's your good news?" She hoped it would cheer her up.

"Will is moving into the mansion tonight. He talked to Chad and my father about it and it's a done deal." EJ smiled hoping Sami would smile back.

Sami smiled, but Lucas shook his head. Lucas made his way to Sami and EJ. "I don't like the sound of this. Why is he moving in?"

EJ finally acknowledged Lucas and shrugged his shoulders. "I am not sure really. Chad said that Will seemed to want to get out of the pub as soon as possible."

Sami thought about her grandmother and wondered if she and Will got into an argument. "I think this is great news." She turned to Lucas and gave him a look to hint at something. "Lucas, I think this will work out for us because we can have a party tonight when Will arrives. We'll all be here and then he'll know that he can come to us."

Lucas gave Sami a skeptical look, but figured it was worth a try. "Sure. I'll call you in a bit. I need to head back to the Salem Inn and check on some things."

"Okay," Sami said as she watched Lucas leave. She turned her attention back to EJ. "The kids are upstairs with Mary. I need to go. I have so much to plan and get together before Will arrives."

EJ gave Sami an apprehensive look. "Do you mind telling me what is going on? What were you and Lucas talking about?"

Sami grabbed her stuff to leave. "I can't really tell you right now because I don't have enough time." Sami made her way to EJ. "Were you able to cover up what you did to that man at the park last night?"

EJ tilted his head at Sami. "Samantha, I had no part in that man's death."

Sami stood back and gave EJ a confused look, but snapped out of it. "Look, I guess we'll have to talk about it later. I have a party to plan." Sami gave EJ a kiss and left.

EJ stood there wondering why Sami thought he was involved in the informant's death. He also wondered what kind of party Sami was planning for Will.

* * *

><p>At the hospital, Jennifer found Abigail standing by the coffee station. Holding a copy of the newspaper in her hand, she headed over to her daughter and gave her a hug. "Hey, sweetie."<p>

Abigail gave her mother a concerned look because the hug caught her off guard. "Hey mom. Are you okay?"

Jennifer placed the newspaper by the coffee maker. "I will be if you promise me that you will be careful when you're out alone."

Abigail smiled nervously. "Why?"

Jennifer put her hand on the paper. "Someone found a dead man in the park last night." Jennifer looked into her daughters eyes. "Do you still take late night jogs in the park?"

"Yeah, I do, actually." Abigail could sense the concern in Jennifer's voice when she asked.

"You know I would rather you stop doing that, but I realize that you probably won't." Jennifer gave Abigail a hug. "At the very least, promise me you'll take someone with you when you go." Abigail shook her head in agreement. "I should head back to the office, but I needed to find you after I read that story in the paper." Jennifer gave Abigail a kiss on the cheek and left without the newspaper.

Abigail watched her mother leave and turned around spotting the newspaper. She tried to call out to her mother, but it was too late. She picked it up and dropped it when she saw the front page. "Oh my gosh," she exclaimed as she picked it back up. She looked closer at the man's face in the picture. "That's the man who I saw with EJ and Chad that night in the park." She pulled out her cell phone. "I need to talk to Chad." She sent Chad a text.

* * *

><p>Chad met with Will in his room at the pub. Chad noticed that Will had a suitcase packed and a couple of small boxes. Will continued to pack as Chad watched. "So this is all you're going to take?"<p>

Will turned to face Chad. "Yeah, I figured I won't take everything with me tonight. I'll just bring over the essentials."

Chad watched as Will zipped up the suitcase. "Do you need any help with anything?"

Will smiled at Chad. "Probably not. I'm almost done. You could help me get it out to your car though."

Chad remembered what he and Kate talked about earlier. "Oh… I should probably tell you that you won't get your own room when you move in."

Will stopped what he was doing and turned to Chad again. "Why is that? Where am I going to stay then?"

"With me… in my room. Kate is redecorating or remodeling all the empty bedrooms at the moment, so that leaves you without your own room. We're going to be roommates." Chad smiled back at Will hoping he was okay with the idea.

Will gave Chad an uneasy smile as he thought about sharing a room with Chad every day. Will wondered if he was capable of keeping his feelings in check if he lived with Chad like that. He began to doubt himself. "Well, maybe I should wait then." Will began to unzip his suitcase.

Chad grabbed Will's hand to make him stop. "Wait! I thought you wanted to get out of here today. You don't want to share a room?"

Will softly removed his hand from Chad's grasp. "It's not that I don't want to share a room because I had fun with you last night. I just think you might get annoyed with me after a while. I don't want to invade your privacy."

Chad pushed Will a bit. "If I had a problem with it, I would not have offered. We'll still have fun. Trust me… besides we'll get the best sleep ever." Chad winked at Will.

Will caved as he could tell Chad really wanted him to move in. Not that he minded. "Okay. If you're okay with it, I am."

Excited, Chad pulled Will into a hug. "This is going to be fun. Growing up as an only child, I've always wondered what it would be like to share a room." Chad released Will when his phone made a sound. Chad pulled out his phone.

Will looked over Chad's shoulder. "Who is it?"

Chad read the text message. "It's Abigail. She wants to meet with me as soon as possible." Chad sent Abigail a text back that read: "Call me when you get off work & I will meet you at your place."

Will watched as Chad put his phone back in his pocket. "Any idea what she would want to talk to you about?"

Chad shrugged his shoulders. "Not sure. Maybe she found out about us," Chad playfully suggested. "Are you done with the suitcase?"

"Yeah." Will knew Chad was joking, but the thought made him nervous. Chad grabbed the suitcase and left the room with it. Will continued to pack the rest of his toiletries. As he packed his thoughts wandered to what it would be like to date Chad. He pictured going out on dates with Chad and holding each other's hands while watching a movie. Will smiled as he thought about holding Chad close and making out with him.

He snapped out of his thoughts when he accidentally dropped his razor. He picked it up and realized the fall broke his razor. Will began to berate himself for his thoughts about dating Chad. "Come on, Will. Pull yourself together. It's never going to happen. He'll always be just a friend."

* * *

><p>Sonny followed Daniel into Nathan's office at Salem University Hospital. When they walked in, they found Nathan at his desk signing a few prescriptions to be faxed to a pharmacy. Nathan looked up at Daniel and Sonny and tried to remain calm. "Hey… what can I do for you two?"<p>

Daniel put his hand on Sonny's back and pushed him forward. "I've been working with Sonny since he started his internship and I thought it would be good for him to work with you for a bit. It might be good for him to get different takes from different doctors on how things are done in the hospital." Daniel smiled as he looked back to Sonny. "You're in good hands. Dr. Horton is one of the best to work with." Daniel turned back to Nathan. "He's all yours."

Nathan watched as Daniel left the room leaving him alone with Sonny. Nathan tried to smile at Sonny, but he felt extremely uncomfortable. "You… can have a seat."

Sensing how uncomfortable Nathan felt, Sonny slowly took a seat in a chair across from Nathan's desk. They sat there in silence for a while before Sonny spoke up. Pointing with his thumb towards the door, Sonny suggested, "Look, I can go and find work at the nurses' station if you don't want me in here."

Nathan looked up and gave Sonny a guilty look. "I'm sorry, Sonny."

Nathan's apology caught Sonny off guard. "Why are you apologizing?"

"I'm apologizing for my homophobia," Nathan admitted. "I'm trying to get better at it, but it's hard because something happened to me awhile back. Ever since then I struggle with the thought that when a gay man is friends with another man, all he wants in return is sex."

Sonny could see Nathan attempting to be open with him. "I'm sorry that you went through something that would make you feel that way." Sonny tried to smile at Nathan to let him know that it would be okay. "I think it's important that you know that I am going to try my hardest to not flirt with you even if I find you attractive. I hope that I can show you that not all gay guys are just out looking for sex. We're more than that."

Nathan appreciated what Sonny had to say. "I think that sounds great." Nathan thought about how Sonny seemed genuine in what he had to say and then thought about his talk with Melanie. He remembered Melanie saying that she caught Sonny and Will kissing. "This is kind of random… but do you like Will?"

Sonny quickly felt nervous. "I… Will is a nice guy, but even if I did, Will's straight… why do you ask?"

Nathan quickly became impressed that Sonny cared enough to keep Will's secret. "Sonny, I know Will is gay. I just wanted to make sure that you didn't get caught up with Will because he's into Chad."

Sonny became curious as to how Nathan knew all of this. "Wait… how do you know that?"

Nathan put his pen down. "I overheard Will in the tent over the weekend."

"Have you told anyone else that Will is into Chad?" Sonny nervously waited for Nathan's response.

"No. I haven't." Nathan thought about his talk with Melanie. He did not tell her about Chad.

"Good," Sonny let out relieved. "We should probably keep it that way. I think Will would go crazy if he found out others knew his secret." Nathan agreed. Sonny worried that Will's secret would be out soon as a lot of people already seemed to know. He knew he had to talk to Will to warn him.

* * *

><p>Gabi sat in her apartment waiting for Kinsey to show up. As time went on, Gabi became more worked up with nerves about the situation. She figured that Kinsey found out that she was hanging out with T. Gabi believed that Kinsey wanted to meet with her to chew her out for hanging out with her pseudo boyfriend. Gabi jumped when she heard a knock on the door.<p>

Gabi walked over to the door and attempted to calm herself down before opening it. After taking a big breath, she opened the door and told Kinsey to come in. Before Kinsey could reply, Gabi quickly spilled out the truth, "Kinsey, I've been hanging out with T to make Will jealous. I hope you're not mad at me."

Kinsey began to laugh. "Oh my gosh, Gabi. Don't be so dramatic." Kinsey made her way to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water. "I already knew about your plan. Is it working?"

Gabi quickly felt relieved that Kinsey seemed cool about everything. "Unfortunately it's not."

After taking a sip, Kinsey smiled back. "Well, that's why I am here. I'm here to help you."

Gabi cautiously made eye contact with Kinsey. "How?"

"You are going to fill me in on your relationship with Will and I'll see if I can diagnose what's wrong... and then help you from there." Kinsey opened the fridge and grabbed a banana. "You don't mind, do you?"

Gabi shook her head. "No, you're fine." Gabi still did not understand how Kinsey could help. "So what do you want to know?"

Kinsey peeled the banana and took a bite. "Have you and Will had sex?"

Gabi felt a bit embarrassed talking to Kinsey about sex. "No. We haven't. There have been attempts, but it's never happened. Will seems to get really uncomfortable about it."

Kinsey gave Gabi an odd look. "Well, you must be doing something wrong if Will feels uncomfortable about sex. That's my diagnosis." Kinsey took another bite and smiled mischievously at Gabi. "Ready for my solution?"

Gabi fearfully nodded. "I guess…"

"Call up T and sleep with him. He can teach you a thing or two." Kinsey shared rather nonchalantly.

Gabi felt uncomfortable. "I'm not sure that is a good idea."

Kinsey threw the rest of the banana in the trash. "Trust me, Gabi. You have to do this. No guy likes to have sex with a virgin anymore. Guys like girls with experience." Kinsey could tell that Gabi still had her doubts. She made direct eye contact with Gabi. "Call him if you want to get Will back. Get it done."


	33. Chapter 33 Walking Into

**Chapter 33: Walking Into – Tuesday, July 12th, 2011**

Gabi sat at the bar at the Cheatin' Heart talking to her brother about their plans for the evening. She wondered if he would be at the apartment tonight. "So what are you and Melanie doing tonight?"

Dario wiped a glass clean and turned back to his sister. "Melanie and I are hanging out at the apartment tonight. Why? What are you doing?"

Gabi looked down towards the end of the bar thinking about how she planned on inviting T over for the night. "I… I thought about having someone over, but I think I am just going to hang out alone at the apartment. Do you mind if I hang out with you and Melanie?" Gabi saw this as a sign that she should not take Kinsey's advice.

Dario shook his head. "I don't mind. I think we'll just watch a movie or something." Gabi gave her brother a half-smile.

Sami walked in and spotted Adrienne enjoying a drink at a table. "Hey Adrienne. Can I have a moment of your time?" Sami took a seat across from Adrienne.

After the phone conversation she had with Sami over the weekend, Adrienne was surprised to see Sami there. "Yeah, sure."

Sami gave Adrienne an apologetic look. "I am so sorry about the way this thing between Sonny and Will was handled. My grandmother told me that Sonny did drugs and that's why I thought it would be better if they stayed away from each other."

Adrienne did not know how to respond. "Caroline told you Sonny did drugs?" After it sunk in, Adrienne realized she really did not like Caroline anymore.

Sami nodded. "I now know that Sonny is gay and does not do drugs. If I had known that I would have never said what I did on the phone. I don't think there's anything wrong with being gay and that should not be a reason to keep my son away from his… friend. I'm sorry for the misunderstanding."

"It's good that we could clear it up. I assumed that you knew and did not say anything. Justin and I got into an argument about it with your grandmother. I guess she really wanted to keep Will away from Sonny." Adrienne shook her head in disgust.

"Adrienne, I wanted to ask you something else." Sami sighed before she continued, "How did you find out and what did you go through when you found out Sonny was gay?"

Adrienne looked up as she thought about her experience with Sonny's coming out. "Well, Sonny sat Justin and me down and told us. It was a bit of a surprise, and I will admit there was a mourning period for me because all of these ideas of what I thought Sonny would have were not going to happen." Adrienne looked back at Sami. Both had water in their eyes. "Fortunately, Sonny helped me see that he could still live a happy life and it would be okay."

Sami smiled at Adrienne feeling a bit better about Will. "Thanks for sharing that."

"Why did you want to know?" Adrienne curiously asked.

Sami immediately looked down. "Please keep this in confidence… I think Will is gay."

Adrienne sat there in a bit of shock because she did not expect Sami to admit that. She took Sami's hand. "It's going to be okay."

Sami smiled back at Adrienne and stood up. "Thanks again… sorry again for everything. I guess we can tell our sons that they can hang out again."

Noting that Sami stood up, Adrienne wondered if she was in a hurry. "Yeah. Do you want to talk more about it? I have time. I've decided just being at work is good enough."

Sami thanked Adrienne again. "I wish I could, but I have a few more things to do before I see Will tonight. I'm throwing a party for him at the mansion. I want him to know that we accept him." Sami waved and walked towards the door.

Adrienne slowly stood up and watched as Sami left. "But…" she let out unsure of what to think. Adrienne wondered what kind of party Sami was planning to throw for Will. "Oh, God! Please don't let it be a coming out party."

* * *

><p>At the Dimera Mansion, Stefano poured himself a drink as he and EJ discussed who could have contacted the informant. EJ put his hands on his hips as he thought. "As far as I know, I am the only one that has ever called or made contact with the informant in the family. I don't think any of our men even knew about him."<p>

"So someone outside of our little operation knew about him. Is it possible that Rafe found out about him and had him killed?" Stefano looked at his son as he took a drink.

"Well, yes, but how?" EJ threw his hands up.

"The man who spied on you at that public sweat shop. We have already discussed the possibility that he worked for Rafe. I am guessing you did not have your phone on you the whole time you were at the gymnasium." Stefano smirked at EJ.

EJ put his hand over his forehead as he thought. "I did leave my stuff in a locker, but it was locked. I put my own lock on it."

Stefano shook his head at his son. "That does not mean a damn thing. Locks are created to be open! It's looking more and more like Rafe is wanting to bring us down." Stefano noticed that EJ seemed a bit distracted. "What are you thinking about, Elvis?"

EJ looked into his father's eyes with concern. "I'm going to have to tell Samantha."

Stefano rolled his eyes and walked away from EJ. "Samantha… of course. We're dealing with a murder and all you can think about is your fiancé." Stefano turned back to his son. "You probably expect me to tell you to leave her out of this, but I don't think that. If you really believe she is one of us then tell her." Stefano smiled as he noticed his declaration surprised EJ.

Marco walked into the living room. "Mr. Dimera, you called for me?"

Stefano turned to Marco. "Yes, Marco. I have a job for you. I want you to look into the informant's death. See what you can find at the Police Department. Also check his phone log if possible. Look for any suspicious calls."

Marco nodded his head to Stefano. "On it right away, sir."

Stefano turned to EJ after Marco left. "Hopefully we'll have answers soon enough."

* * *

><p>As soon as Abigail opened the front door at the Horton House, Chad could tell how upset she was. "What's wrong? Your text message seemed rather urgent." Chad walked into the house.<p>

Abigail closed the door trying to keep her thoughts together. Ever since she saw the picture in the Salem Spectator she thought about how she would confront Chad about being involved in the man's death. "I know that you're connected to that dead man they found in the park last night."

Chad stepped back after hearing Abigail's accusation. He did not hear an ounce of doubt in her voice. "What do you mean?" he asked trying to play dumb. "How am I connected to him?"

Abigail shook her head at Chad. "Chad! Stop playing dumb. I know that you're connected to him because one night a couple of weeks ago, I was running in the park and spotted you meeting with him. Your brother EJ was there as well!" She crossed her arms as she waited for Chad's response.

Chad scratched his head wondering what to do. He remembered hearing a noise that night and figured he could no longer deny it. "You can't tell anyone what you saw that night."

Disappointment fell over Abigail as Chad had just admitted to being connected to the man's death. "How can you ask me to do that, Chad? I read the story and the police are asking for any kind of information on the guy as they don't even know his name. I'm not a Dimera. I don't work outside of the law!"

Chad put his hands on Abigail's shoulders. "Please. I'm begging you to keep this to yourself. The cops cannot know that my family knows that guy. My family is trying to figure out who killed him as well."

Abigail stepped back. "So your family is not responsible for his death?"

Hurt by Abigail's assumption, Chad stepped back and removed his hands from his girlfriend. "Wait. You thought that we killed the guy? You thought I had a part in his death?"

"Well, it's your family. They are the Dimeras!" Abigail noticed the hurt in Chad's eyes and decided to back pedal. "Chad, I promise I am not going to tell the cops."

Chad smiled when he heard Abigail's promise. "Really? You won't tell anyone?"

"I won't. Chad, I don't want you to get in trouble for something you did not do." Abigail put her hand on his cheek hoping that he would not feel hurt anymore.

Chad gave Abigail a hug. "Thank you so much." Chad's phone went off. He noticed he got a text message from Will. "I've got to go. I dropped Will off at the store and I have to pick him up. He's moving in!" Chad gave Abigail a kiss on the cheek and headed towards the door.

Abigail followed Chad to the door. "Oh?" Chad seemed to be in a hurry, so Abigail decided not to push it. "Call me later." Chad agreed and left. Abigail closed the door and leaned against it. She wondered if she would be able to keep her promise.

* * *

><p>Kate arrived outside of Lucas's hotel room at the Salem Inn and knocked. Lucas quickly opened the door and went back to fixing his tie. Kate slowly made her way into the hotel room and looked around. "Well, hello to you, too… what's going on?"<p>

"I don't really have time to talk right now." Lucas shot back as he picked up a wrapped present.

"What's that for?" Kate stood in Lucas's way so that he could answer her question.

"I told Sami that Will is gay. We decided to throw him a surprise party when he comes to the mansion to move in." Lucas gently pushed his mother out of the way so he could grab his keys.

Kate immediately got worried. "What kind of party? This could be a really bad idea and Will might see it as some kind of ambush. It could backfire!" Kate eyed the wrapped present in Lucas's hand. She feared what Lucas decided to give Will at his surprise party.

Lucas grabbed his wallet and cell and made his way to the door. "Well, it's a done deal. Are you coming or not? I need to lock up."

Kate pulled her purse onto her shoulder. "I guess I don't really have a choice." Kate followed Lucas out of the room.

* * *

><p>Sonny rushed to the pub as soon as he checked in with Victor at the mansion. He walked in and spotted Caroline and threw his hands up to show that he came in peace. "Mrs. Brady… I'm not here to make out with any guys to embarrass you or make you feel uncomfortable."<p>

Caroline tried to act innocent with Sonny. "I'm not worried. What can I do for you?"

"I'm looking for Will. I know that his parents want me to stay away, but there's something important I really need to talk to him about." Sonny looked around hoping Will was there. "Is he in his room? I'll wait for him down here if he is."

Caroline could see the seriousness in Sonny's eyes, but she decided to not let that get to her. "I'm sorry, but Will is not here. He left with Chad quite awhile ago."

"Do you know where he's headed? Is he coming back here tonight?" Sonny really wanted to talk to Will.

Caroline realized she could not tell Sonny about Will moving into the Dimera Mansion. She believed she could keep Sonny and Will apart if Sonny continued to believe that Will lived at the pub. "I don't know. I know that his parents were throwing him a surprise party tonight, but it's for family only." Caroline smiled hoping Sonny would give up.

"Then why aren't you there?" Sonny curiously asked, not trying to be rude.

Caroline's smile quickly faded after she heard Sonny's question. "I have work to do… so if you'll excuse me."

"Yeah. I guess I'll just head home. I'll keep calling. Hopefully he'll pick up." Sonny made his way to the door and walked out. He pulled out his phone and dialed Will's number. As he put the phone to his ear, Sonny said to himself, "Poor guy… doesn't know what he's about to walk into…"

* * *

><p>Back at the Dimera Mansion, Chad and Will arrived with his things outside the front door. Chad pulled out his keys and unlocked the door. When they walked inside they noticed all the lights were out. "This is weird. I think this is the first time I've come home to the lights being out like this. I'll find the light switch." Chad began to feel the wall to flip the switch.<p>

Will stood in the foyer in the darkness holding his things as he waited for Chad to turn on the lights. As soon as the lights came on, Will jumped as he saw and heard his family yell out 'surprise'. Will looked around and noticed Stefano, EJ, and Kate standing in the back rather awkwardly. He noticed balloons and decorations everywhere in the living room. Will nervously smiled as everyone watched to see what his reaction would be. "What… what is all of this for?"

Lucas and Sami made their way and grabbed the things in Will's hands to set them down. Sami gave Will a hug first. "We decided to surprise you with a moving in 'slash' late family graduation party."

"You know since I couldn't make the first one." Lucas added as he gave Will a hug.

Still a bit cautious, Will responded to everyone who was there, "Thanks everyone. This really means a lot." Will smiled and looked at Chad. "Did you know about this?"

Chad patted Will on the back and nodded. "Yep. I'm really good at keeping secrets."

Sami gave Will another hug. "Your father and I want you to know that we are here for you and will always support you. There's nothing you can do that will make us feel any different."

"Thanks," Will responded unsure where all this was coming from. Lucas pulled Sami away from Will to give him some space. Will looked back to Chad. "This is all kind of weird," he admitted.

Chad smiled. "I think it's cool."

Relieved that the party was not a coming out party, Kate made her way and gave Will a hug. "I'm so glad you're moving in. I assume that Chad told you about my project?"

Will smiled back to his grandmother. "Yeah, he did. I think it will be an adventure!" Will looked back at Chad giving him an excited look. Kate smiled as she watched Chad and Will together.

Stefano and EJ continued to watch the party unfold by the baby grand. Stefano turned to his son. "Did you know anything about this?"

"I knew about it earlier today when Sami first got the idea. She put this thing together rather fast." EJ watched Sami and noticed something different about her. "There's something strange going on here tonight."

Stefano shook his head. "I get the feeling that there's more to this party than we know."


	34. Chapter 34 What's Your Secret?

**Chapter 34: What's Your Secret? – Thursday, July 14th, 2011**

Thursday came rather quickly. Kate made her way out of Roman's office after answering a few follow-up questions on the informant's murder. As she walked out, she ran into Abigail. "Abigail! It's so good to see you!"

Abigail avoided making eye contact with Kate. "I wish I could say the same." Abigail hoped that Kate would not ask why she was there.

Kate noticed Abigail's demeanor seemed off. "What is going on with you? Did you and Chad get into a fight?"

Abigail finally looked up to Kate. "No, Chad and I are fine. I just don't really care to talk to you."

"Well, if you're going to be in Chad's life, you better get used to seeing me around." Kate smirked at Abigail as she continued, "A few words of advice: Don't get used to it because your relationship with Chad is doomed. If he hasn't realized yet that he has no future with you then he will soon." Kate winked at Abigail and walked away with a smile on her face.

Frustrated Abigail headed into Roman's office. She really hated Kate. Once inside the office, she found Roman sitting at his desk. "Roman, I need to talk to you."

Roman looked up from his desk. "Are you okay? Did something happen?"

"I'm fine, but I am worried about Chad," she admitted. Over the last two days the guilt from keeping Chad's secret really got to her. She knew that she was not helping the situation if she kept it a secret. She figured since Chad had nothing to do with killing the guy, his name would be cleared in the end.

"Chad Dimera? Why are you worried about him?" Roman motioned to a chair. "Take a seat."

Abigail took a seat and told herself that she was doing the right thing. She needed to protect Chad from his family because he would only look more guilty if he continued to cover up their connection to the man who died in the park. "I have information about the man who died in the park Monday night."

Roman moved to the edge of his seat. "What do you know? Does it involve Chad?"

"Weeks before the man died, I saw him in the park one night. He was talking to EJ and Chad. They were with the man who died." Abigail watched as Roman's eyes widened.

"You did the right thing, Abigail. Now… can you tell me exactly what you saw? …and start from the beginning."

Abigail took a deep breath realizing she could not turn back now. She had to tell Roman what she saw and heard. "Yeah… I can."

* * *

><p>Sami made her way down the stairs at the Dimera Mansion and walked into the living room to find EJ sitting at the desk. EJ looked up from the desk and smiled at Sami. Sami headed to the bar and poured herself a glass of water. She pretended she did not notice EJ's gesture towards her. EJ caught on that Sami was upset with him, so he turned his chair. "Samantha, is something bothering you?"<p>

Sami quickly turned to EJ and gave him an obvious fake smile. "I guess I should let you know that I've halted the wedding plans." EJ gave Sami a confused look. "EJ, this wedding isn't going to happen if you keep secrets from me. You've been acting weird and I know it's because you're keeping a secret from me!"

EJ stood up from his chair and replied calmly. "Well, darling. I'm not the only one who has a secret. For the life of me, I still do not understand the real reason behind that party you threw for Will Tuesday night."

Sami realized she was just as guilty as EJ. "Yes, I do have a secret, but I did plan to tell you about it."

EJ pulled Sami into a hug. "So did I. I noticed you have been quite occupied with Will moving in; I really haven't had the chance to tell you." EJ kissed Sami on the forehead.

Sami looked up into EJ's eyes. "So what's your secret?"

EJ released Sami from the hug and placed his hand on his forehead while he placed his other hand on his hip. "It's about Rafe," EJ admitted giving Sami a rather serious look. "He's tried to get the family's attention and is threatening to bring us down… but that's not all of it. I believe he is behind our informant's death. I believe he killed that man in the park."

Sami could not believe that Rafe was causing trouble. "But how would he be able to kill that man when he's in prison? And why won't he just go away and leave us alone?"

"I think he has some unfinished business with us. He could have someone working for him on the outside." EJ sensed Sami's worry. "We will get to the bottom of this. We are going to find out if Rafe is involved. He might not be." EJ kissed Sami on the forehead again hoping she would not worry about Rafe. "So what secret have you been keeping?"

Sami thought about Will and looked around to make sure no one else was around. "I don't think Chad knows, but Will might be gay." Sami watched EJ's reaction closely and could tell her news shocked him. "Please don't tell anyone… especially your father and brother."

"I won't." EJ smiled at Sami a bit shocked still. "That's a mighty big secret to have." EJ snapped out of his shock when he realized Sami could not look him in the eyes any longer. EJ put his hand on her chin and made her look up at him. "What you need to make sure you do is let him know that you still love him no matter what. There's nothing wrong with being gay."

Sami tried to smile. "I know and I do love him. That was the point of the party. We wanted Will to know that he could come to us about this."

"You know, if I was gay, I would have lots of fun. I would not be depressed about it at all." EJ smiled at Sami hoping she would smile back, but she did not. "But alas, I am straight and I am stuck with you. You're all the fun I need."

Sami smiled back at EJ finally. "You're sweet and I love you, too."

"But…" EJ knew there was a 'but' in there.

"No… no but… It's just that I wish Will could confirm or deny that he's gay without me having to ask or confront him about it." Sami looked up at EJ as her smile disappeared.

* * *

><p>At the hospital, Sonny stood at the nurses' station trying to figure out how to use a program on the computer. He quickly became frustrated with it. "I know computers and this should be an easy job. This program sucks."<p>

Hoping to talk to Abigail, Kinsey walked out of the elevator and spotted Sonny. She had never seen him before, so she decided she should introduce herself. Putting her hand out, Kinsey declared with a smile, "I'm Kinsey… and you are Doctor…?"

Sonny looked up and awkwardly took Kinsey's hand. "Uh… I'm not a doctor. I'm just an intern… here. It's nice to meet you, though."

When Sonny took Kinsey's hand she forced it towards his lips as he spoke. Sonny awkwardly kissed her hand and Kinsey quickly blushed. "Well, it doesn't matter if you're a doctor or not. Do you have a name, handsome?"

Victor stopped just outside the hall when he spotted Sonny with Kinsey. He could not help but observe.

Sonny realized that Kinsey was hitting on him. "Handsome… I'm really flattered." Sonny quickly let go of Kinsey's hand. "I'm Sonny and I should probably get back to work." Sonny looked back down to the computer.

Kinsey did not want to leave Sonny's side. "Well, how about we grab a bite when you're on break or maybe we could go out after your shift is over. We could have… lots… of… fun… just the two of us." Kinsey smiled and winked.

Sonny tried to keep his attention on his work, but Kinsey's flirting really made it hard. He needed to get rid of her. "Kinsey, you seem like a really nice girl, but you're barking up the wrong tree. I'm sorry, but I really need to get back to work."

Kinsey pulled a pen out of her purse and grabbed Sonny's hand. After writing her number on it, she kissed his hand. "Call me when you're not busy." Kinsey walked away and headed towards the hallway. Sonny shook his head and continued working on the computer.

Victor waited for her to come over. Ashamed of what he had just witnessed, Victor got an idea. When Kinsey made her way to the hall, Victor stopped her. "Excuse me, miss. I need a moment of your time."

Kinsey quickly recognized Victor and shook her head. "Mr. Kiriakis, what do you want?"

"How would you like to make some money while nabbing the man of your dreams?" Victor smiled.

Kinsey smiled back as she could use the money due to her family having financial woes. "I'm in."

* * *

><p>At Java Café, Gabi and Melanie enjoyed coffee on their day off from work. Melanie stretched a bit enjoying her lazy day. "It's nice to just relax and hang out with friends."<p>

Gabi agreed. "I feel like laying out on the beach, going home to watch a movie, or something." Gabi thought about the movies she had back home. "Sonny and Dario watched the Harry Potter movies this week… maybe I'll watch one of those."

"That movie we watched the other night was really good. I think your brother even liked it." Melanie took a sip of coffee and then wiped her mouth with a napkin.

"Speaking of Dario. How are you two doing?" Gabi stretched a bit in her chair.

Melanie thought about Dario. "We are good I guess." Melanie did not feel comfortable telling Gabi how she really felt about her relationship with Dario. Melanie worried that she bored Dario because she noticed something different about him after they started dating.

Gabi sensed something was wrong. "You guess? Something wrong?"

Melanie forced a smile. "Things are great. He makes me smile and laugh. You saw us together the other night."

Gabi let it go. She looked up at the door and spotted T walking in. She quickly tried to avoid making eye contact with him. "Crap."

Melanie noticed Gabi quickly look down. She turned around and spotted T walking towards them. She turned back to Gabi, "It's too late. He's headed this way."

Gabi looked up as T made his way to the table. "Hey Gabi…. Melanie."

Gabi smiled trying not to think about Kinsey's advice to her. "Hey T. What are you up to?"

T could not keep his eyes off Gabi. "I told my parents I'd bring them back some coffee after working out. What are you up to?"

"Just hanging out with Melanie." Gabi really struggled with keeping her thoughts pure about T.

T smiled. "Well, I should get those drinks for my parents. If you want to hang out tonight, give me a call."

"Sure. Catch you later." Gabi and Melanie watched T as he walked up to the counter.

As soon as it was clear, Melanie moved closer to Gabi by leaning on the table. "Gabi, he's so into you. You have to hang out with him tonight. Give him a call!"

Gabi did not know what to do as Kinsey's advice kept popping into her head. "Maybe." Gabi turned back and looked at T. She could not believe she was considering sleeping with him. Gabi turned back to Melanie. "No. I should just stay away from him."

Melanie smiled widely as she realized Gabi liked T back. "Oh my gosh. You like him!"

Gabi shook her head. "No. He's just a friend. I'm still in love with Will."

Melanie leaned back in her chair deciding to let it go. "Well, fine. Just hang out as friends then."

Gabi watched as T walked out holding two drinks. "I don't know… maybe…"

* * *

><p>Will arrived at the Salem Inn to pick up Allie. When Lucas answered the door, Allie immediately ran to her brother and gave him a hug. Will smiled as he picked up his sister. "Hey Allie." He looked at his dad and smiled, "Hey dad."<p>

"Why don't you come in for a second so you can grab Allie's things?" Lucas watched Will as he walked in. He noticed that Will seemed happier than normal. "What do you guys have planned?"

Will put down his sister and helped her put on her backpack. "I guess we're just going to head back to the mansion to watch some cartoons and stuff."

Lucas smiled at Allie. "Sounds like fun." Lucas put his arm around Will. "Will, I want to set up a time when we can talk… just me and you… man to man."

Will nodded and nervously smiled. "Okay. Sounds good. When is a good time for you?"

Allie pulled on Will's shirt. "Can we go now? I can't wait to see Johnny and Sydney! We're going to have fun!"

"How about you just give me a call after you're done hanging out with your brother and sisters and we can go from there?" Lucas suggested.

"Sounds good." Will smiled back at his father and then picked up his sister. "I'll call you later."

Lucas headed to the door and opened it so Will and Allie could leave. He waved goodbye as they walked out. After he closed the door, he wondered if he could get through to Will. He did not feel comfortable talking to Will about his sexuality, but he knew he had to get it done and over with.

* * *

><p>Back at the Dimera Mansion, EJ and Sami continued to talk about Will. They stopped when Chad walked in. "Hey guys. Is Will back yet with Allie? I told him I would hang out with him and the kids."<p>

Sami walked over to Chad with a smile. "No, he's not. He should be back soon." Chad turned around to leave. "Chad… wait. Do you have a minute?"

Chad turned back to Sami. "Sure. What's up?"

EJ walked behind Sami and put his hands on her shoulders. He feared what Sami would say. He whispered in her ear, "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Sami removed EJ's hands from her shoulders and moved closer to Chad. "Has Will talked to you about anything… well, like a secret?" Sami watched Chad closely.

Chad scratched his head. "Um… not that I can think of… what would the secret be about?"

"Nothing. Samantha is just rambling," EJ said trying to keep Sami from spilling Will's secret.

Sami turned to EJ. "No, I am not. I am just worried about Will." She turned back to Chad who looked really confused. "Sorry about that… the secret would have been about homosexuality … and Sonny."

EJ took a seat and put his head down shocked that Sami put it out there. Chad gave Sami a weird look, but then realized what she was talking about. "Oh yeah. Will told me."

Sami leaned her head in while keeping eye contact with Chad. She believed she was about to get confirmation about her son. "He did? What exactly did he say?"

"Well, he told me about how his great-grandmother lied to you about Sonny doing drugs to keep Sonny away from Will. I already knew Sonny did not do drugs and I already know that Sonny is gay. It's not really a secret. Sonny is pretty open about his homosexuality… trust me." Chad believed that Sami wanted to know if Sonny was gay or not.

"Oh… right." Sami quickly realized that Chad had no idea that her son was gay. Before she could say anymore, the doorbell rang. "I wonder who that could be."

Sami made her way to the foyer to answer the door. She rolled her eyes when she saw that it was her father with another police officer. Roman smiled at his daughter. "Hey there, Sami. Is EJ and/or Chad around?"

"Yes… what do you want?" Sami stood there giving her father a smirk.

Roman and the officer made their way into the living room to make his announcement. "Chad… EJ… you're both under arrest. Now we could do this the easy way or the hard way. I need the both of you to come down to the station."

EJ stood up from the couch and could see the fear in Chad's eyes. "What on earth are we being arrested for?"

Roman smirked at EJ. "For your possible involvement in a man's murder." The other officer began to read Chad and EJ their rights as Sami watched in horror.

"Wait… we had nothing to do with that guy. We don't even know him," Chad said as the officer began to put cuffs on his hands.

EJ turned to his brother. "Just stay quiet, Chad. Don't say anything!"

Roman turned to Chad. "I would not have a warrant if I did not have the proof that you were connected. We have a witness who will testify that you do know the man who died."

Outside of mansion, Will and Allie arrived in time to see Roman and the officer haul EJ and Chad in handcuffs. Allie looked up to her brother. "Will, what's going on?"

Will made eye contact with Chad and saw fear in his eyes. "I don't know, Allie. I don't know." Will watched as Chad and EJ were placed in the back of a police car. He feared the worse for Chad.


	35. Chapter 35 Questioning

**Chapter 35: Questioning – Thursday, July 14th, 2011**

At the Salem Police Department, Roman arrived with EJ and Chad. The officer took their handcuffs off and Roman had them sit for a moment. Sami and Will showed up a few minutes after. Sami darted to her father and began attacking him. "Dad, you are making a big mistake. EJ and Chad had nothing to do with that man's death and you know it!"

Roman looked back at Sami and calmly replied, "If they are innocent and cooperate, I will let them go." Roman turned to the officer. "Please take EJ and Chad and put them in separate questioning rooms."

The officer made EJ and Chad get up. EJ gave Chad a serious look hoping to send the message for him to just stay quiet. Sami hurried over to EJ's side. "Don't worry, EJ. I'll make some calls and I'll get you out of here."

After EJ and Chad were gone, Roman walked over to Sami. "Don't get in the way or I'll have you escorted out." Roman left.

Will walked over to his mother. "Mom, what is going on?"

Sami tried to stay calm. "Everything is going to be fine. Your grandfather is just trying to keep me away from EJ." Sami realized she needed to get Will out of there. "Can you do me a favor?"

"Yeah… anything." Will said wanting to help out any way he could.

"Will you go see your father and tell him what happened and that Allie is with Mary and the other kids." Sami pulled out her phone.

"I can just call him and tell him. I want to stay here with you so I can be here for Chad and EJ." Will did not understand why his mother wanted him to leave.

"Will, just do it, please. Your father will freak out if you don't tell him face to face. I need you to keep your father calm, okay?" Sami hoped that Will would just do what she asked.

"Okay, but keep me updated. If you see Chad tell him that I…" Will froze for a second realizing what he almost just said. "Tell him that I said everything will be okay."

"I will, son." Sami gave him a hug and watched him leave. She quickly dialed a number on her phone.

* * *

><p>At the Dimera Mansion, Stefano walked into the living room and poured himself a drink. Kate walked in after a while and poured herself a drink. "It's kind of quiet in this house. Are we alone?" Stefano raised his glass to Kate to toast being alone.<p>

"No. The kids are upstairs with Mary. I heard her singing with the kids, but EJ, Sami, Chad, and Will are nowhere to be found." Kate raised her glass and took a drink.

"I wonder where they are." Stefano quickly finished his drink as his phone started to ring. Stefano answered, "Yes?"

On the other side, Sami spoke. "Stefano, it's Sami. I'm at the Police Station. Chad and EJ were brought in to be questioned about the informant's death. They were arrested on suspicion of murder."

Stefano looked at Kate with anger and frustration in his eyes. "What? How could this happen?"

Kate watched Stefano and wondered what happened. "What's going on?" she lightly asked not wanting to talk over whoever he was on the phone with.

"I don't know, but my dad has Chad and EJ in separate rooms to question them separately. You might want to get here as soon as possible and get them out of here." Sami hoped Stefano would be able to get them out.

Stefano knew what he had to do. "Listen, you sit tight and keep me updated if anything else happens. I will be there as soon as I can. I am going to get them out of there." Stefano hung up the phone.

Kate placed her hand on Stefano's shoulder. "Did something happen?"

"EJ and Chad have been arrested for being connected to that man's death… the one that you found in the park." Stefano put his hand on Kate's waist. "You should probably stay here." He gave Kate a kiss and headed out.

* * *

><p>EJ sat in one of the interrogation rooms alone contemplating the witness Roman claimed to have. He knew that he did not have to answer any questions, so he knew he would be fine. When Roman arrived to question him, EJ looked up and smiled. "Ah, Roman. I wondered when you would finally show up to join me."<p>

Roman took a seat across from him with a tape recorder. "EJ, I just have a few simple questions. If you answer them, we will be able to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible, and if you're not guilty, I will let you go." Roman waited for EJ to respond, but he did not. "Did you know this man?" Roman pulled out the picture of the man and showed it to EJ.

EJ did not bother to look at it. "I plead the fifth, so that I do not incriminate myself."

Roman rolled his eyes. "We have an eye-witness that can connect you and Chad to this man on Tuesday, June 28th, 2011. Can you tell me what you were doing that night?"

EJ looked Roman straight in the eyes, "I plead the fifth, so that I do not incriminate myself."

Roman became annoyed. "Are we really going to play this game? Help me out for once. This is only making you look more guilty of a crime my daughter claims you are innocent of. Tell me this guy's name!"

"I plead the fifth, so that I do not incriminate myself."

Roman stood up annoyed turning off the recorder. "Okay. Don't answer my questions. You may be able to get by for now, but I have a feeling your brother will be easier to break. I could see the fear in his eyes when I brought you two in."

EJ knew Roman was right about Chad as he noticed how frightened Chad seemed. He did not show his worry though. "I am sure my brother will do the right thing." EJ smiled at Roman. Roman scoffed and left the room.

* * *

><p>Sonny arrived at the Kiriakis Mansion after his shift at the hospital. He walked into the living room and spotted Victor. "Hey, Uncle Victor. I'm home."<p>

Victor forced a smile at his great-nephew. He did not want him to know that he witnessed his exchange with Kinsey. "Oh, Sonny. How was your internship today?"

Sonny gave a frustrated look, but smiled through it. "It was a bit annoying today. Had to work with a program that seemed extremely ancient, but other than that, it was good." Sonny put his hand on Victor. "Thanks again for this opportunity. I'm learning a lot and gaining tons of experience just being there."

"Well, I am glad you enjoy it." Victor smiled back. "Sonny, I have a favor to ask of you."

Sonny beamed when Victor said he had a favor. He figured doing this favor for his great-uncle might win him some points from the old guy. Sonny hoped he could win Victor over and prove to him that being gay was not a bad thing. "Sure. What's the favor?"

Victor was happy Sonny automatically agreed without him having to give all the details. "Are you free Friday night? I'm going to need you here around 7pm to show a client around Salem."

Sonny had plans, but he figured he could cancel them. "Yeah… I can do that. Anything for you." Sonny smiled. He was glad that his great-uncle gave him this opportunity.

* * *

><p>Will finally made his way to the Salem Inn and knocked on his father's door. When Lucas opened the door and saw his son standing there, he gave him a strange look. "Will, what are you doing here? I thought you were spending time with your siblings. Where's Allie?"<p>

"The kids are fine. They are with Mary, but I came over to tell you something." Will walked in knowing that once he told Lucas what happened, his father would lose it.

Lucas closed the door. "What's going on?"

"EJ and Chad were taken to the police station earlier. Mom is down there now with them." Will waited for Lucas to yell.

"Are you serious?" Lucas shouted. "Why? … Forget why, I need to pick up my daughter and bring her back over here." Lucas grabbed his keys.

Will stopped Lucas from leaving. "Dad… wait! Allie is fine. She is with Mary, Johnny, and Sydney. They are okay." Once Will had calmed Lucas somewhat, he continued, "They are just being questioned about the death of that guy that grandma found in the park." Will figured he would twist the truth a bit to keep his father calm.

Lucas put his keys back on the dresser. "Oh… Why did you need to tell me that in person?"

"Uh…" Will knew he had to cover up his lie. "Well, earlier you mentioned wanting to talk to me, so I figured we could talk about when we're both free to meet."

"That doesn't make sense," Lucas responded making Will a bit nervous. "Why would we talk about talking later when we can just do it now. Your brother and sisters are with Mary. Your mom is busy with EJ and your best friend. You don't have a girlfriend anymore, so that means we're both free now. Why don't we just do it now?"

Will began to wonder what his father would want to talk to him about. The fact that Lucas brought up Gabi made him nervous. "I guess we can. What did you want to talk about?"

Lucas tried to shake his nerves as he thought about confronting Will about his secret. "Will, is there anything you want to tell me? Something that you've tried to keep a secret?"

Will's heart began to beat faster as his nerves began to go crazy. "I… I don't know what secret I would have to share…" Will did not want to talk about being gay with his father. He was not ready for that conversation yet. "I… just remembered that I am supposed to meet up with T," Will lied as he headed towards the door.

As much as Lucas wanted to avoid this conversation, he knew he needed to get it over with. "Will, I know that you're gay."

Will froze by the door with his back facing his father. He stood there not wanting to turn around to face his father. He wondered how he would get out of this one.

* * *

><p>Back at the cop shop, Roman sat across a nervous Chad placing the tape recorder on the table. "Well, Chad. Are you going to be cooperative today?"<p>

Chad tried to keep it cool. "If there's one thing I learned from my mother and her husband, it was not to say anything until I had a lawyer present. So as of right now… no. I can't help you."

Roman pulled out the picture of the dead man and showed it to Chad. "You see this picture. It's a picture of a man whose life was taken away. We don't know his name, but I am sure he has a family somewhere that is wondering where he is. He won't get to see his sons and daughters anymore. He won't get to see his wife, parents, cousins, uncles, friends, and neighbors anymore. Does that seem fair to you, Chad?"

Chad felt the pressure Roman placed on him. "No, I don't think it is, but I am not saying anymore until I have a lawyer here."

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Roman asked as he moved the picture of the dead body closer to Chad. "What would your mom say if she knew that you were standing in the way of an important investigation? What would she do if she knew that you were standing on the wrong side of the law? What would she feel when she found out that her son killed a man?"

"Shut the fuck up!" Chad shouted at Roman cracking under the pressure. "I did not kill that man! I…"

"Enough!" a voice boomed in the room. Roman and Chad looked back to the door and saw Stefano standing there with Sami. "You are done here, Commissioner Brady. I have a court order for the immediate release of Elvis and Chad due to you not having enough evidence to hold them here."

Roman stood up in anger. "That's B.S., Stefano and you know it."

Stefano sneered at Roman and then put his hand on Chad's shoulder, "Come on, son. Let's get your brother and leave this place."

Roman stood in the way. "I still want to question them."

Sami stood up to her father. "When are you going to get it that Chad and EJ do not know that man. You're looking at the wrong people, dad!"

Roman looked at his daughter in shame. "You know something you're not telling me? I'll keep an eye on you and your new family."

"So be it, but you're just wasting your time!" Sami smirked as she helped Chad stand up to leave.

Roman watched Sami leave the room with Chad and Stefano. He threw his fist on the table. "Dammit! I was so close!"


	36. Chapter 36 No Turning Back

**Chapter 36: No Turning Back – Thursday, July 14th, 2011**

In Lucas's room at the Salem Inn, Will turned back to this father giving him the most sober face he could muster. "Dad, I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not gay!"

Lucas moved closer to Will and rested his hand on Will's left shoulder. "Will. I know. It's okay. We can talk about this." Deep down Lucas knew Will was not gay.

Once Will heard his father say 'It's okay', he knew that he could talk to his father about it. Will figured that his father was okay with it and just wanted to make him feel comfortable about himself. "You're actually cool with it?"

Lucas gave Will an uneasy look. "I wouldn't say I am cool with it, but I understand what you're going through. It's just a phase … a lot of guys around your age experiment. I knew guys growing up that went through the same thing that you're going through now. When it's all over you'll realize that you aren't attracted to guys. You're attracted to girls."

"Dad, as much as I did want this to be a phase in the beginning, I know it's not. I'm gay." Will declared without really thinking. After his declaration, Will began to realize that his father wanted him to be straight. He began to question his response.

Lucas immediately became angry and raised his voice, "You're not gay, Will! I would never allow it!" He did not want to hear his son talk about anything that had to do with accepting his homosexuality.

Seeing the look on his father's face was enough for Will to realize that he made the wrong decision. "This was a mistake! Forget I said anything to you!" Will stormed out of the room after realizing he should have never confirmed that he was gay to his father.

* * *

><p>Stefano, EJ, Chad, and Sami arrived at the Dimera Mansion after EJ and Chad were released from custody at the Salem PD. As soon as they were inside, Stefano began to go off about Chad and EJ's arrests. "This is ridiculous. How in the hell did Roman get a warrant to arrest the two of you? How did Roman know that you two knew the informant?"<p>

"I have no idea," EJ answered first. "Roman claimed to have a witness, but for the life of me, I have no idea who that witness could be."

Chad looked up and noticed that his father and EJ turned their attention to him. "I have no idea either," he quickly answered. He secretly wondered if Abigail came forward to Roman and shared what she saw at the park weeks ago. "If you'll excuse me, there's something I need to take care of."

Stefano noticed something off about his son, but decided to let it go for now. "Sure… go. If anything jogs your memory, make sure you come to us. Understand?" Stefano gave Chad a serious look. Chad nodded his head and left. Stefano turned his attention to EJ. "Elvis, I want you to call Marco. Tell him to look into this witness that Roman claims to have. I want to know who is in our business. It's obvious it's someone that does not belong."

Sami stepped in before EJ could leave. "Wait. There's something I want to say." EJ and Stefano gave Sami their attention. "I want to help as well."

EJ smiled at Sami. "How are you going to help?" he asked wanting to know if she had a plan.

"I want to visit Rafe. I want to find out who has visited him. Maybe I can find out who has been helping him on the outside or if he has anything to do with what is going on." Sami looked at both EJ and Stefano to hear their responses.

EJ replied first, "Don't get me wrong, Samantha. I know that you can hold your own, but are you sure you want to give that man the satisfaction of seeing your face again?"

"I don't mind. He can be as smug as he wants, but I am going to get answers from him to help the family." Sami clearly had made her decision on visiting Rafe.

Stefano smiled at Sami. "You know, Samantha, you continue to impress me today. I could not help but laugh when I saw how you stood up to your father. Brava! … and I think this plan to visit Rafe is genius. I say schedule the visit ASAP."

Sami looked back and forth between Stefano and EJ. "Well, then it's decided. I'm visiting Rafe in prison."

* * *

><p>After talking to Victor, Sonny decided to swing by the Cheatin' Heart to talk to Dario. When he walked in, his mother immediately greeted him by giving him a hug. "Hey mom. Having a good day?"<p>

Adrienne smiled at her baby boy. "It just got better. Take a seat and I'll fix you something to eat." Adrienne made her way to the back.

Sonny headed to the bar where Dario stood. "Hey Dario. I've got some bad news."

Dario looked up from the bar. "Sonny. What's up?"

"I have to cancel our plans for Friday night. I know how much you wanted to see the last Harry Potter movie with me, but maybe Melanie could take my ticket." Sonny pulled out the two movie tickets he had pre-ordered.

Taking the tickets from Sonny, Dario put them in his back pocket. "It's not going to be the same without you, but I think I can survive with Melanie," Dario joked. "Thanks man. We'll have to see Captain America next week. So why do you have to cancel?"

"My Uncle Vic needs me to do something for him tomorrow night." Sonny admitted as his mother walked out from the back.

Adrienne planned on asking Sonny if he wanted ham or turkey, but when she heard him talk about doing a job for Victor that took priority. "Wait. What are you doing for your great-uncle?"

Sonny could see the worry in his mother's eyes. "It's nothing big. He asked me to take one of his clients and show him around town. It's no big deal, mom."

Adrienne still worried. "I am not so sure I like that you're driving one of his clients around." Not wanting Sonny to think she was just referring to the shadiness of Victor's business, she added, "You barely know Salem."

"Oh, I'm not driving. We are taking the limo around." Sonny grabbed his mother's hand. "I will be fine. I've been in town long enough to know my way around." Sonny gave his mother a smile hoping that she would stop worrying.

Adrienne smiled back letting him know that she trusted his decision. "So I came out here to ask if you wanted turkey or ham."

"Turkey, of course." Sonny smiled as his mother headed to the back. He turned his attention back to Dario. "So?"

"Are we still on for tomorrow morning?" Dario asked wondering if they were still going to the gym.

"Yeah. I never cancel gym time… besides I need my daily Dario dose." Sonny smiled at Dario and Dario smiled back.

* * *

><p>Chad made his way to the Horton House ready to let Abigail have it as soon as she opened the door, so when Jennifer answered the door instead Chad had to hold back his frustration when she sweetly greeted him at the door. "Hey Chad. How are you?"<p>

"I'm doing well, Ms. Horton. Is Abigail around?" Chad asked as he tried to smile.

"Yeah." Jennifer turned her head towards the stairs. "Abigail! Chad's here!" she shouted to get her daughter's attention. She turned back to Chad with a smile. "Why don't you come in?"

Chad walked in and looked around to make sure no one else was around. He started to feel a bit awkward. He looked up when he heard Abigail head down the stairs, but quickly looked back to Jennifer when he made eye contact with Abigail. He knew he could not fake it with her.

When Abigail made it to the bottom of the stairs, Jennifer decided to leave the two alone. "I'll be in the kitchen."

As Jennifer made her way to the kitchen, Abigail turned to Chad with a smile. "What's up? I thought you were hanging out with Will and the kiddos. This is a nice surprise."

Chad watched as the kitchen door closed. "I know what you did!" he let out still trying to hold in his frustration.

Abigail quickly realized that Chad knew she had talked to Roman. "Chad. I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?" Abigail had just confirmed his suspicion. The volume of his voice went up as he continued, "Today, my brother and I were arrested because the cops think that we killed that guy in the park. I cannot believe you broke your promise. You said you weren't going to saying anything!"

Abigail did not appreciate how Chad was treating her. "I take that back! I am not sorry. You want to know why?" Abigail gave Chad a few seconds to answer, but continued, "Because I did the right thing, Chad! I don't regret telling Roman that I saw you and your brother with that guy weeks before he died! If you're innocent then you should have nothing to worry about!" Abigail would not let Chad get a word in. "If you're so upset about being arrested, stop looking at me and look to your father. He's the one that put those handcuffs on you because your family is evil!"

Chad finally had it with Abigail and yelled back. "My father did not put those handcuffs on me! You did when you went behind my back and betrayed me! We are done!" Chad shook his head as he made his way to the door. He slammed it after he walked out.

As soon as Chad left the house, Abigail began to cry. Jennifer made her way to her daughter having heard the whole fight. "Come here!" She took Abigail in her arms and wondered if she should worry for her daughter's safety. "This is probably the best thing that could have happened, Abigail. You did the right thing."

* * *

><p>Gabi sat in her apartment alone feeling nervous about her decision. She looked at her phone and contemplated calling T. "It's for Will. If I want Will back in my life I have to do this." She jumped when she heard a knock on the door. After placing her phone in her pocket, she made her way to the door and opened it. "T. Come in."<p>

T walked into the apartment and watched as Gabi closed the door. "Where's your brother?"

Gabi put her hands in her pockets. "He's at work for the night. He's working the late shift."

T looked around the room and scratched his head. "So what are we going to do tonight? Movie? TV? Just talk?"

Gabi realized that there was no turning back now as she took T's hand. "I want you to teach me."

T could not help but smile when Gabi said that. "Teach you? Teach you what?"

Gabi grabbed T's other hand and moved him closer. "Stop playing dumb." Gabi began to kiss T avoiding thinking altogether.

After they broke the kiss, T's smile grew bigger. He loved looking into Gabi's eyes. "Wow. I think I like where this is headed." Gabi continued to hold T's hand as she led him to her room.

* * *

><p>Chad made it to his room after his confrontation with Abigail. He was still very upset about everything, but when he heard Will crying his anger quickly faded. He found Will on their bed and immediately made his way to him. "Will, what's wrong?"<p>

Will looked up and saw Chad standing there. He was still upset about what happened with his father. His father was disgusted with him for being gay and he wanted to take it all back. Will began to hate himself again. Will sat up and wiped his face. "I… I'm fine. There's nothing wrong."

Chad sat next to Will and pulled Will's head on his chest. "Dude, you're not fine. You're crying… you don't have to stop because I'm here." Chad leaned back and pulled Will closer to him.

Will decided to let Chad comfort him. Cuddling with Chad made him feel better, but Will did not want to tell him his secret. He did not want to make the same mistake twice. Will started to cry again as Chad held him. "I'm sorry, but I don't want to talk about it right now."

Chad looked down at Will wishing he could make Will feel better or at least open up. He decided to open up to Will hoping that maybe Will would in return open up to him. "I just got back from Abigail's house. We got into a huge fight because she is the witness that came forward and is the reason EJ and I were arrested." Chad noticed that Will stopped crying to listen to him. He smiled. "I wish Abigail was more like you. You always have my back and you always care. If you were a girl, I would so date you." Chad let out a small chuckle as Will continued to lay there in silence. "It's too bad you're not."

Will's heart broke even more after hearing that. He knew he would never have Chad like he wanted. Chad would never come around. At that moment, Will began to understand the dangers of being so close to Chad.


	37. Chapter 37 Mistakes

**Chapter 37: Mistakes – Friday, July 15th, 2011**

Early the next morning, Dario and Sonny met up at the Salem Gym. After putting their stuff away and stretching, they made their way to the exercise bikes. "Were you able to tell Melanie about the movie last night?"

"Yeah. I sent her a text about it from work, but she can't go because she took an extra shift tonight. I'll probably see if Gabi wants the tickets." Dario focused on his workout.

"So you're not going to go? You should still watch it." Sonny turned to Dario and without thinking checked him out. He turned away quickly when Dario's head turned towards him.

"It will be okay. Maybe we can watch it next week sometime." Dario looked up from Sonny and spotted a familiar face. He did a double take once again and the person was gone. He tried to shake it off, but the fact that this was the second time, he figured it could not be a coincidence.

Sonny turned back to Dario and realized that he had stopped cycling. "Dario, are you okay?"

Dario turned to Sonny. "I don't know man. I've been seeing things." Dario began to look around him to see if he could spot who he saw.

Sonny began to look around as well. "What are you seeing?"

"My brother." Dario gave up and looked back at Sonny. "It's weird. I don't know why I would see him here."

"Yeah man. That is weird." Sonny did not know what to say to Dario. "Do you want to go to the doctor or something?"

"No, I'm fine." Dario focused on working out again, so Sonny let it go.

* * *

><p>At the Dimera Mansion, Stefano, EJ, and Chad talked about their next plan of action concerning Rafe and the informant's death. "I talked to Marco late last night and he told me that he found a strange call made the afternoon of the informant's death. It is a hidden number and it may have been the person who killed the informant." Stefano looked to both of his sons. "I feel like I need to stress the importance that we do not talk about any of this to people outside of our family. Do you understand what I am saying?"<p>

EJ rolled his eyes. "Yes, father. I think Chad and I get what we're supposed to do here. We're not idiots."

Chad looked on nervously and agreed with EJ. He feared that he would prove EJ wrong when they found out about Abigail. "Do we know who that witness is yet?" he asked nervously. He questioned whether he should come forward about Abigail, but decided not to because he knew Stefano would have another reason to not like Abigail.

"Unfortunately, not yet. Marco is still working on it." Stefano picked up his phone to call Marco, but stopped when he spotted Marco entering the living room. "Ah, Marco. Please tell me you have something on that witness."

"I do, Mr. Dimera. I know who the witness is." Marco declared. Chad tried to hide his nerves. "It's Abigail Deveraux."

"Wait. How does the Deveraux girl know about our connection to the informant?" EJ asked.

While Marco informed them of who the witness was, Stefano kept his eyes on Chad and realized that Chad knew this whole time it was his girlfriend. "I know how… Chad couldn't keep his mouth shut about it and told his saintly girlfriend!" Stefano raised his finger to Chad in disappointment. "Have you learned nothing? You sit here and lie to me and now we have to clean your mess."

EJ stepped in and stopped Stefano from screaming at Chad. "Father. Stop. I am sure he did not tell Abigail about our connection to the informant. She is a witness and I remember Roman saying that his witness saw us meeting with the informant in June. Chad did not say anything to her."

"Regardless, the point is that Chad knew Abigail was Roman's witness. I can see it all on his face! He's kept this from us!" Stefano turned and shook his head. "Now you know why I think Abigail is bad news, huh?"

Feeling horrible, Chad stood there in silence. He did not know what to say. He knew there was no way that he could defend himself.

* * *

><p>At Dot Com, Kinsey surrounded herself with old high school friends. Since the news of her family's bankruptcy got out before graduation, she had a falling out with the popular crowd. Now things were different and the popular girls let her back in with her new juicy gossip. The girls laughed at what Kinsey had to share with them. Kinsey spotted Gabi walking in. "Shhh… here she comes."<p>

Gabi walked in and noticed that everyone she knew from high school immediately got quiet and turned towards her. Gabi wondered if she had spilled something on her clothes, so she inconspicuously looked herself over. Gabi immediately felt uncomfortable when a guy walked over and obviously checked her out. "Is there a problem?"

The guy gave her a smile. "No problem at all, miss sweet thang." The guy gave her a wink and left.

Gabi looked at Kinsey and noticed she was surrounded by girls they graduated with. When she looked at them they began to laugh at her. She could hear some of them call her a slut and a whore. She quickly realized that Kinsey told everyone they knew that she had slept with T. She made her way to Kinsey, who gave her an evil look. "What the hell did you do, Kinsey?"

"I just told everyone the truth about what you really are? Miss goody moral Gabriella Hernandez is actually Miss very easy slutty Gabriella Hernandez. I hope T wore a condom!" Kinsey and the other girls started to laugh at Gabi.

Gabi grabbed Kinsey's arm and pulled her away from the other girls. She tried to fight the tears that wanted to come. "I don't get this. I thought you were cool with me hanging out with T. Why would you do this to me?"

Kinsey massaged her arm where Gabi had pulled her. "Cool with it? I knew that you lied to me when you said it was only to make Will jealous. Last night confirmed it to me you little puta." Kinsey gave Gabi a smirk. "See, I did learn something in Spanish class. Here's the lesson you need to learn: Stay away from other girl's boy toys."

"You're a bitch!" Gabi had enough of the embarrassment and rushed out the door. She felt so betrayed by her friends.

* * *

><p>Melanie walked out of the elevator at Salem University Hospital and accidentally bumped into Nathan. "Oh, sorry." She looked up into Nathan's eyes and quickly felt the draw that she had always felt with him. She told herself that she needed to get over Nathan because she was not good enough for him. She also reminded herself that she was with Dario.<p>

"No, I'm sorry. I really should watch where I am going." Nathan hated that he could not get over Melanie so easily. Even now all he wanted to say was how he still loved her. Nathan noticed the way Melanie was staring at him. "Is something wrong?"

"No… I'm fine." Melanie quickly looked down.

The elevator door opened again causing Nathan and Melanie to awkwardly go their separate ways. Sami walked out and headed to the conference room for her first board meeting. She stopped when she spotted Will. "Will, what are you doing here? Stefano send you out on an errand?"

Will took a deep breath before he spoke. "I am running errands, but I stopped by here for my lunch break hoping to talk to you." Will realized it was time to talk to his mother about everything. He figured his father had already talked to her about it. He hoped that his mother's reaction would be different than his fathers. Either way, he wanted to get it over with.

Sami felt happy that Will wanted to talk to her, but the timing was off. "Will, I have a board meeting in a few minutes. Is there anyway you can just wait here for me. We can talk after it's over. If anyone at Dimera Enterprises starts to give you flack about not coming back, let them know that I have you out on errands." Sami gave her son a hug.

Will felt a bit let down. He had mustered all this courage to come out to her and now he had to wait a little longer. He feared he would change his mind, but he had no choice. "Okay. I'll wait."

Sami smiled and rushed through the hallway doors to get to the conference room. Abigail and Sonny walked in through the same doors talking about Abigail's situation with Chad. She put her arm up and stopped Sonny from moving when she saw Will standing by the nurse's station. "It's Will. You should talk to him."

Sonny was not sure if that was a good idea. "What about your problems with Chad?

"It's okay. Hopefully Chad will let me explain everything and will forgive me. Talk to Will. This is your chance to fix things." Abigail pushed her cousin along towards Will.

Will turned around and saw Sonny walking towards him. Will felt his body tense up because it felt like forever since he and Sonny talked. Will decided to turn back around.

Sonny decided he had to make the first move to figure out what happened between Will and him. "Will, I've been trying to call you. Is everything okay?"

Will turned around and gave Sonny a strange look. "I'm the one that has tried to call you over and over again. You never answered my calls, texts, or voicemails."

Sonny scratched his head. "I've left messages on your phone as well. Are you not getting them?"

Will looked Sonny over and realized he was serious. "No… I did not get anything saying you called or left a voicemail." Will looked around realizing he might have to wait forever for his mom. Placing his hand around the back of his neck, he asked, "Any way we can go somewhere and talk privately?"

Sonny smiled at Will's wanting to talk. "Yeah. I can take my lunch break and we can talk."

Will cautiously smiled back. He missed hanging out with Sonny. "Cool."

Sonny walked over to Abigail and informed her that he was taking his lunch break. He walked back to Will and put his arm around his shoulder. "Let's go." Abigail smiled as she watched the two walk into the elevator.

* * *

><p>At the Brady Pub, Caroline and Victor stood at the bar talking about Will and Sonny. Caroline quickly wiped down the bar. "I've been able to keep Sonny away from Will. Sonny still thinks that Will lives here. I'm surprised they haven't been able to get in touch with each other."<p>

Victor smiled. "Well, I had a part in that. I fixed Sonny's phone so that Will's phone calls and messages went to my phone. Sonny's calls to Will do the same. They don't have a clue, and I think that Sonny and Will are starting to resent each other for it all."

Caroline smiled at the news. "At this point, I am counting on Gabi to bring Will back to the right side."

"I'm hoping my plan will help bring Sonny to his senses tonight as well." Victor smiled. "We should toast to Will and Sonny finally coming to their senses."

"That sounds nice." Caroline quickly poured two glasses and handed one to Victor. "To Will and Sonny coming to their senses."

Adrienne walked in and spotted Caroline and Victor toasting together. She quickly realized that they were cahoots and rushed past T and Josh who sat at a nearby table. She called out to them in an intense whisper, "I cannot believe you two! The both of you have been working hard to keep Will and Sonny apart because they're both gay! What is wrong with you? How could you do this to your own family?"

Before Victor or Caroline could respond, Gabi walked into the pub and spotted T. She had texted him earlier wanting to know where he was and he told her. As soon as T saw Gabi, he stood up to greet her. "Hey babe."

Wiping the tears from her face, Gabi walked over, grabbed the closest drink, and threw the drink in T's face. "You're a jerk! Go screw yourself!" Gabi turned around and left.

Adrienne, Victor, and Caroline stood there wondering what they had just witnessed. T stood there drenched confused as to why Gabi was so upset. He grabbed a napkin and wiped his face.

* * *

><p>Sonny and Will made their way to the pier taking turns trying to call the other. They took a seat on the bench after Sonny tried to call Will. "It's not coming through. Let me try calling you." Will waited for Sonny to end his call, so he could dial Sonny's number.<p>

After a while, Sonny realized Will's call was not going to come through on his end. "Yeah. It doesn't work for me either."

Will ended his call and put his phone on his lap. "I wonder what that's about." Will looked into Sonny's eyes. "I'm sorry I thought that you turned your back on me when I needed you most."

Sonny grabbed Will's arm and continued to look into Will's eyes. "I'm sorry I thought you wanted nothing to do with me. I almost gave up on trying to talk to you."

"I'm glad we know that it's our phones that hate us," Will joked. Will looked down at his phone when it made a sound. He saw that he received a text from Chad. In the text Chad asked if they could talk, but Will ignored it. After putting the phone in his pocket, he turned his attention back to Sonny. "It was Chad."

Sonny did not want to keep Will from Chad. "Do you need to go?"

"I live at the Dimera Mansion now, so he can wait until I get home tonight. Besides I'd rather make up with you." Will smiled at Sonny and noticed him smiling back at him. Will thought about how he had repressed all his feelings when he was with Chad because he could not act on what he wanted. With Sonny it was different. "Did I say make up? I meant make out." Will pulled Sonny into a kiss, surprising Sonny.

Caught off guard, Sonny pushed Will off for a second. "What about Chad?"

"Chad's not gay and never will be… so let's stop talking about Chad." Will pulled Sonny into another kiss. Sonny wrapped his hand around Will's head and pulled Will closer. Will really was a good kisser and Sonny really did miss making out with someone.

Still crying, Gabi walked onto the pier from the Brady pub and spotted Will and Sonny making out. She threw her hand over her mouth and watched in horror. She was in complete shock.


	38. Chapter 38 The Things I Did For You

**Chapter 38: The Things I Did For You – Friday, July 15th, 2011**

"Will!" Gabi screamed as she saw Will and Sonny making out. She still reeled over what Kinsey and T did to her and now this made it worse. Will and Sonny quickly turned towards her when they heard Will's name. Gabi made her way over to Will and slapped him in the face. "You're a bastard. Both of you are!"

Will and Sonny immediately stood up and separated from each other. Will put his hand on his face where Gabi slapped him. He could not get over the fact that Gabi caught him kissing Sonny and did not know what to say to her. Disoriented, he could only let out, "Gabi… what… what are you doing here?"

Gabi pushed Will back. "What am I doing here? That's what you have to say when I catch you making out with another guy?… another guy who I thought was a friend?" She turned to Sonny and pushed him back as well. "I never said anything to you about being gay, but I felt sorry for you. I wanted to be there for you and help you! This is how you repay me?"

Sonny tried to take control of the situation. He felt horrible about Gabi catching him with Will. He looked at Will, who seemed to be unable to understand what just happened. Sonny grabbed Gabi and tried to calm her down. "I am so sorry Gabi. The kiss just happened. You and Will broke up… I'm sorry."

Gabi went on attack mode with Sonny. She pushed him off of her and put her finger in his face. "So you're telling me all of this was an accident? You both sat here talking and the next thing you knew your lips were pressed together! I'm sure I saw tongue in that kiss." Gabi did not really understand what she was saying, but she knew it felt good to let out the bent up anger she felt. The moment caught up to her as she began to repeat the fact that she saw Sonny and Will making out. She softly said to herself, "Oh my gosh. Your tongue was in his mouth. You guys are attracted to each other and I am a fool." Gabi quickly moved on from what she said to herself, turned to Sonny, and slapped him. "How long?"

Sonny covered his face. "How long what?" He understood Gabi's anger, but wished that she would control her rage.

"How long have you been into Will? How long have you tried to get into his pants? How long have you played me only to get to him?" Gabi's feelings were all over the place and she needed someone to let those feelings out on. She kept pushing on Sonny waiting for any kind of answer as to why this would happen.

Will snapped out of his daze and realized he needed to do something to stop Gabi from beating on Sonny. Will grabbed Gabi away from Sonny. "Sonny did not kiss me. I kissed him!"

Gabi immediately got silent and pulled herself away from Will. In a soft confused voice, Gabi responded, "What? Why would you do that?"

Will quickly turned to Sonny realizing that his presence probably did not help things. "You should go back to work. I'll take care of this. I'll call you tomorrow or something."

"Are you sure?" Sonny did not want to leave Will alone with Gabi.

"Yeah. We should probably just regroup tomorrow." Will pleaded with Sonny and Sonny agreed. Sonny left Will and Gabi alone on the pier.

Gabi looked up to Will and glared at him. "So when you said 'regroup' does that mean you're going to have sex with him?" Disgusted, Gabi began to sob uncontrollably as she never saw this coming.

Will tried to hold Gabi, but she kept pushing herself away from him. "No, Gabi. Sonny is my friend. I'm not having sex with him!" Will's phone began to ring, but he ignored the call as he wanted to focus his energy on talking Gabi through what she had witnessed.

Gabi shook her head. "But you want to, don't you? Is that why you broke up with me? Was that why you could never answer my question on why you could not be that guy that you thought I deserved?"

Will knew he had to tell Gabi the truth about everything. "Yeah, Gabi. I'm gay. I did not know for sure until recently, and yeah… that's why I broke up with you. I tried to do the right thing by letting you go."

"You tried to do the right thing? Are you serious?" Gabi immediately began to think about everything she did for him. "Why couldn't you tell me all of this before? Before…" Gabi fell to her knees and cried hard. She thought about how she put aside her pain to help Will feel better about himself. She thought about how she did not let anyone else talk her out of not giving up on him. She thought about how she slept with T so she could learn how to please Will. "Oh my gosh! What have I done?"

Will knelt down beside her and tried to comfort her. "What do you mean? What happened?"

Gabi looked up at Will with pain in her eyes. "I gave up everything for you. I gave up my dignity, my soul, my self… and I have nothing to show for it. It was all a waste… I'm a joke because of you, Will Horton. You're gay and I sold myself just so everyone can look down on me."

"You did not turn me gay if that's what you mean." Will hated seeing Gabi so upset.

Hearing the idea of it being her fault made Gabi even more upset. Gabi pulled herself up and looked down at Will. "You are a liar and the ugliest person I know! I can't believe I actually thought that you were some sweet and caring guy who I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I can't believe I wanted you to be that guy! I hate you, Will Horton and I never want to see you again!"

Will tried to get up to stop Gabi from leaving, but she pushed him back down. He watched as she left and Will began to cry. Everything he had hoped to avoid happened. He ruined Gabi's life and she hated him.

* * *

><p>Sami arrived at the Dimera Mansion after her first board meeting hoping to find Will there. She made her way to the living room where Stefano and EJ were talking. "Hey. Have you guys seen Will? He told me he would wait for me at the hospital, but after the board meeting he was not there. I tried calling him, but he never responded."<p>

EJ turned to Sami and shook his head. "I haven't seen him since this morning. Did you check the cafeteria at the hospital?"

"No, I did not think to do that. I guess he could still be there waiting for me…" Sami wondered if she should go back to the hospital.

Chad walked down the stairs and overheard Sami and EJ discussing Will's whereabouts. He had sent a text to Will earlier hoping they could talk about what happened with Stefano and Abigail, but he never got a response either. Hearing that Will might still be at the hospital, Chad decided to check the hospital out.

"…but I called and left a voicemail," Sami finished. "Hopefully he'll just call back and we can talk then."

Stefano took a seat at the desk. "Well, I have not seen him since I sent him on a few errands. He could be back at the office or running other errands for others at the company."

"You're probably right. He'll call back." Sami decided to let it go. She hoped that she would be able to talk to Will later. "By the way, tomorrow is the big day. I scheduled a visit with Rafe tomorrow at Salem State Penitentiary."

Stefano was happy to hear that. "Oh good… you got in."

EJ made his way over to Sami. "I know that you're set to do this, but I want to make sure you're not having any second thoughts."

"I'm not worried. I'll go in there and find out what he's been up to. I'll find out who has visited him and if he has any harbored feelings against us." Sami gave EJ a kiss on the cheek to make him feel better about her visiting Rafe.

Stefano looked back at Sami and decided to give her some advice. "Make sure you do not let him get the best of you. Don't let your anger for what he did to you take control of the situation. You must remain calm!"

"I've got everything under control. Come tomorrow, Rafe won't know what hit him." Sami mischievously smiled.

* * *

><p>Chad arrived at the hospital and searched for Will while calling and texting him. He could not find him and Will never answered or responded. Chad started to worry that something happened to him. Chad decided to head to the nurses' station to see if Maxine or another nurse could page Will over the intercom.<p>

After getting off the elevator, Chad ran into Abigail who had just finished her shift and was about to head home. "Chad. What are you doing here?"

Not really wanting to talk, Chad walked over to the empty nurses' station. "I'm looking for Will."

Abigail followed him over. "Will's not here. He went to lunch with Sonny awhile back, but Sonny has already come back and finished his shift since then. Why are you looking for Will?"

Chad quickly became annoyed. "Why are you talking to me? I thought I made it clear I don't really want to talk to you." Chad started to walk towards the elevator. "I guess this was a wasted trip."

Abigail grabbed Chad's arm. "Wait. Chad, don't leave. We need to talk about what happened." Chad did not want to stay. "Please hear me out."

Chad turned around and crossed his arms. "Fine."

"I'm sorry that what I did got you in trouble with your family and with Roman, but I don't regret what happened because I stayed true to myself." Abigail looked at Chad to make sure he listened. "You have harped on me in the past about how much I need to stop trying to change you and just accept you for who you are, but why can't you do that for me? This is who I am, Chad. I go to the cops when I can help solve a crime. I follow the rules placed by the government. This is who I am. This is how I was raised."

Chad sighed as he realized that Abigail had a point. "I get that. You're a good person, and we do things differently. I know you were doing what you believed to be right, but now my dad is upset with me because he knows that you are the one who told the cops. The cops also think that EJ and I killed that guy. We didn't… I promise you we had nothing to do with that guy's death."

Abigail could see the frustration in Chad's eyes. She took his hands. "I know. I believe you."

* * *

><p>After showering and getting dressed up, Sonny made his way down the stairs at the Kiriakis Mansion. Walking into the living room, he hoped to check in with his great-uncle before meeting the client he was to take out. To his surprise, he found someone else waiting for him in the living room: Kinsey. "Kinsey, right? What are you doing here?"<p>

Dressed in a formal dress, Kinsey smiled and gave her hand to Sonny. "Hey, Sonny. I'm really looking forward to our time together tonight. I'm new to Salem and I'm excited to see it all for the first time. It will be a good start if my parents decide to move their business here."

Sonny awkwardly kissed Kinsey's hand again. He could not believe that Kinsey was the client he promised Victor he would take out. Before Sonny could respond, Victor entered the room. "Ah. I see you two have already introduced yourselves to each other."

Sonny turned around to face Victor. "Kinsey is your client?"

"Technically, she is not. Her parents are my clients, but I needed someone to take their daughter out while I had a formal meeting with her parents. You're not backing out on me now are you?"

Sonny quickly shook his head even though it bothered him that all this was dumped on him now. "No. I don't mind taking Kinsey out. I told you I would help out."

Kinsey wrapped her arm around Sonny's arm. "Great. We should get this show on the road!"

"Thanks Sonny. You two have fun tonight, but not too much." Victor smiled and patted Sonny on the back.

"I'll see you later tonight." Sonny made his way out of the mansion with Kinsey glued to his side.

Victor poured himself a drink. He hoped that Kinsey would do the trick to straighten out his great-nephew.

* * *

><p>Gabi moped around Salem until the sun went down before arriving back to her apartment. She really did not have the energy to see anyone else. After walking in, she spotted Dario sitting on the couch by himself. "What are you doing here? I thought you were going to the movies with Melanie."<p>

Dario turned towards her a bit concerned. "The movie was sold out," he lied. "Where have you been?"

Gabi tried to wipe her face to hide the fact that she had cried for most of the day. "I've been around…" She avoided looking at her brother.

Dario realized something was wrong and when he moved closer to Gabi he realized that she had been crying rather hard. "Gabi, you've been crying. What's going on?"

Gabi looked into Dario's eyes and immediately started crying again. "I've made so many mistakes, Dario. I don't know who I am anymore."

Dario quickly wrapped his arms around Gabi and moved her to the couch to take a seat. "¿Que paso? Tell me what happened."

"Please don't be mad at me." Gabi looked down in shame because of the choices she made. "I slept with T last night, but it was all a set up. T and Kinsey set me up to make me look bad in front of their friends. Earlier today, I was called easy and a slut. People laughed in my face! I feel like a slut because I only had sex with T because I wanted to get Will back." Gabi continued so she did not have to hear Dario's response towards her. "Just when I thought things could not get worse, I caught Will with Sonny."

Dario did not like hearing about what Kinsey and T did to his sister. He also did not like that his sister lost her virginity to get another guy jealous. His anger was sidelined when he heard Gabi mention Sonny and Will. "You caught Will with Sonny?" Dario did not understand what Gabi was implying. "What do you mean?"

Gabi looked up to her brother. Tears still fell from face. "I caught Will and Sonny making out. Will's gay, Dario. He's been lying to me this whole time!"

Denial hit Dario at first. "No, Sonny wouldn't do that. Will can't be gay."

"They were practically all over each other, Dario. I know what I saw. I wish I didn't see it, but I did. Sonny and Will are together. Sonny took Will away from me!" Gabi began to wonder if she really believed Sonny took Will away from her. Will could have actually never been hers.

Rage filled Dario when he saw the hurt in his sister's eyes. He stood up and made his way to the door. "I can't believe Sonny would do this to…"

"Dario, where are you going?" Gabi quickly stood up from the couch.

Dario turned back to his sister. "I'm going to find Will, Sonny, and that T guy and kick their asses for what they did to you!" Dario opened the door.

"Stop!" Gabi screamed at her brother. "Please don't go. I don't want to be alone right now. Please stay with me." Gabi did not want her brother to get in to trouble.

Dario closed the door and walked back to his sister. He sat on the couch and pulled her into a hug. "I'll stay with you. I'm sorry those guys did that to you. They're nothing. They don't mean anything to us anymore." Dario held his sister as he tried to make sense of why Sonny would do this. He hated what Sonny did.

* * *

><p>In the back of the Kiriakis limo, Sonny and Kinsey were quite wasted after the night's events. They finished the wine in their glasses and began to laugh. "You want more wine? I'll pour some more in our glasses." Kinsey grabbed Sonny's glass to make her way to the bottle of wine.<p>

"Let me help you!" Sonny tried to get up, but Kinsey pushed him back.

"I'm getting them. You stay there, mister." Kinsey made her way to the bottle and pulled out a few pills. Kinsey smiled as she put the pills in Sonny's glass.

Sonny looked out the window and smiled. Earlier he hated the idea of having to take Kinsey out, but he actually had fun with her. They seemed to have a lot in common. Besides, he needed the distraction.

Kinsey returned with the glasses and gave one to him. "We should say a toast!"

Sonny looked up to think of a toast. "To partying the night away!" he toasted as he raised his glass.

"To partying the night away!" Kinsey raised her glass secretly toasting to having her way with him tonight. She watched as Sonny drank his glass of wine and smiled.


	39. Chapter 39 Wake Up Call

**Chapter 39: Wake Up Call – Saturday, July 16th, 2011**

The next morning, Sonny woke up at the Salem Inn hung-over. He made his way to The Cheatin' Heart hoping to get a ride home from his mother. From the back, Adrienne heard the door open and decided to see who walked in as she and Dario were still setting up before they opened the bar. "Someone just walked in. I'll see who it is." Adrienne walked out and spotted her son standing by the bar. She rushed over to him and noticed he seemed out of it. "Where have you been, Sonny? I asked you to call me if you stayed the night somewhere."

Sonny rubbed his head trying to remember what he did last night. He quickly regretted allowing himself to get so drunk with Kinsey, but he really wanted to forget what happened with Gabi and have fun. "I'm sorry mom. I…"

Dario walked out to make sure Adrienne was safe. As soon as he saw Sonny, rage filled him again. He grabbed Sonny's shirt and pinned Sonny against the wall. "What the hell man? How could you do this to my sister? To me?" Dario did not let up. "Is that why you canceled with me last night? Did you spend the night with Will? I thought I could trust you!"

Sonny sobered up rather quickly when Dario pinned him against the wall. He realized that Dario knew about Gabi catching him kissing Will. "I'm sorry, Dario. I didn't mean for that to happen." Sonny looked into Dario's eyes and noticed that Dario's eyes were watering.

Adrienne rushed over to Dario and Sonny and tried to separate the two. "Dario, please let go of my son. I don't know what's going on, but I need you to calm down."

Dario realized he let his emotions get the best of him, so he let Sonny go. "I'm sorry, but you really betrayed my trust, Sonny."

Tears began to form in Sonny's eyes as he saw the hurt in Dario's eyes. "I'm so sorry that I hurt you and your sister. I didn't mean for it to happen."

Dario became embarrassed with the way he lashed out at Sonny. He turned to Adrienne to apologize. "I'm sorry boss, but I think I need a breather." Dario walked out.

Adrienne rushed to Sonny to make sure he was okay. "Are you going to tell me what's going on? Where were you last night?"

Sonny wiped the water from his eyes and gave his mother a look of fear and concern. "I don't know, mom. I don't know what I did last night. I can't remember anything about last night."

* * *

><p>At the Dimera Mansion, Chad and EJ watched Sami as she talked to Lucas on the phone. "Thanks, Lucas. I'll call you later. Bye." Sami turned to EJ and Chad. "Found Will. I guess he stayed the night at the Salem Inn with his father."<p>

Relieved to know Will was okay, Chad let out a sigh. "Good. I wonder why he decided to stay there instead of coming home."

Sami did not know the answer to Chad's question. "I don't know. I just hope that he's okay. Lucas said he seemed rather down when he showed up late last night and went straight to sleep."

"I hope he's okay as well." Chad pulled out his phone. "I guess I'll send him a text or something. I'll see you two later." Chad left and headed up to his room.

EJ wrapped his arms around Sami and gave her a kiss. "Are you going to be okay? I'm sure Will has his reasons for staying with Lucas last night. He'll be okay."

Sami looked up and tried to smile. "I don't know. What if I made things worse by blowing him off yesterday for that board meeting. I'm a horrible mother."

"Samantha, don't say that. He knew you had that meeting. He told you he would wait. Something might have come up after that." EJ thought about Sami having to visit Rafe today. "If you don't want to go through with the plan today, we can hold off until tomorrow."

Sami shook her head. "No, I want to do this. The faster we can get Rafe out of our lives for good, the better." Sami pulled away from EJ to grab her things. "I should probably head out now if I am going to make it out there in time.

EJ kissed Sami on the forehead. "Drive safe and I will see you when you get back."

"I will. I love you." Sami smiled trying to not worry about Will.

"I love you, too."

* * *

><p>At the Salem Inn, Lucas decided to wake Will. "Will, you should probably get up. You don't want to sleep in too much."<p>

Will slowly sat up in bed. He rubbed his eyes and immediately started to feel guilty again about everything that happened with Gabi and Sonny. He buried his head in his arms.

Lucas did not like seeing his son so down. He wondered if what he said to him the other day caused Will to feel that way. "May I ask you what you're so upset about?"

Will glanced at his father. "I ruined Gabi's life and I feel really guilty about it." Will rubbed his eyes again wishing he could take everything back. "Dad, you said you knew some guys that went through a gay phase. How long did that phase last?"

Lucas became uncomfortable. "I… I guess it all depended on the guy. Some of the guys only did it once, while others probably carried on for months." Lucas hoped that maybe Will was coming around to the idea that he was not gay after all. "Are you starting to think it's a phase now?"

Before Will could answer, his phone beeped. Will picked it up off the table and saw that he had a text message from Chad that read: "Hey Will. I'm glad that you're okay. You should come home so we can talk. I miss you." Reading the text made Will remembered how he felt about Chad and all the conversations he had with Sonny. "Dad, sometimes I wish it was all just a phase, but I know that it's not. I am gay." Will hoped that this time his dad would be able to accept him for who he was.

Looking away from Will, Lucas became upset but tried to hide the fact as best he could. Instead of screaming at Will about it, Lucas got up and grabbed his keys. "I need to run some errands. Could you make sure you close the door securely when you leave?"

"Yeah, sure." Will watched as his father left. He knew that his father only left because he did not want to talk about Will being gay. Will looked at the text message from Chad again, but decided not to text him back. He was not ready to talk to him yet.

Instead, Will called Sonny using the phone in the room. When Sonny answered, Will responded, "Hey it's Will. Can we meet up at the park soon?"

"Yeah. I'll see you in half an hour?" Sonny asked.

"Sounds good." Will hung up wondering if he could move on with Sonny.

* * *

><p>Abigail arrived at Gabi's apartment and found Melanie already there comforting Gabi on the couch. Abigail made her way over to Gabi and gave her a hug. "Gabi, what happened? Your message this morning sounded rather urgent."<p>

Gabi wiped the tears from her eyes. "My life is over."

"Your life is not over, Gabi. You still have us and your family." Melanie rubbed Gabi's back wishing she would feel better about life.

"So what happened?" Abigail asked.

"Yesterday on the pier, I caught Will and Sonny making out. Will is gay and likes Sonny." Gabi began to cry softly.

"Oh my gosh, that's horrible." Abigail gave Gabi another hug. She showed concern on the outside, but on the inside Abigail could not help but smile. She was happy that Will and Sonny were together now. She could stop worrying about Will trying to make the moves on Chad.

Melanie continued to rub Gabi's back. "Look. It's better this way. Now you can finally move on from Will… maybe give T a chance."

"I already did and he turned out to be a jerk as well." Gabi thought about what T and Kinsey did to her. Then she remembered how much Melanie pushed her to get over Will. She gave Melanie a strange look.

Melanie noticed the strange look on Gabi's face. "What is it?"

"Did you already know Will was gay? You seemed so sure that I should move on and that he only liked me as a friend!" Gabi already knew the answer before Melanie could answer.

"Uh…" Melanie did not know how to tell Gabi that she did know and caught Will and Sonny kissing on the pier a few weeks ago.

Before Melanie could say anything else, Gabi turned to Abigail and remembered the conversation they had in the beginning of the week. She had a secret to tell her about Will. "And you knew as well!" Angry, Gabi pushed them away from her.

Melanie and Abigail tried to calm Gabi down. Melanie looked to Abigail to say something. "I was going to tell you, but Sonny told me not to."

Gabi stood up from the couch and separated herself from Melanie and Abigail. "I wonder why he told you not to tell me!" she yelled rather sarcastically. "He did not want me to know that he and Will were together!" Gabi turned away from Abigail and Melanie as she could no longer look at them. She wanted them out of her apartment. She walked over to the door and opened it. "I need you two to leave!"

"Gabi, you should not be alone right now. You are really upset." Melanie pleaded with Gabi to reconsider kicking them out.

"Please, just leave me alone. You guys are supposed to be my friends and because you kept this from me my life is ruined. Please go!" Gabi motioned out the door.

Abigail gave Gabi an annoyed look. "We are your friends, Gabi. You were never happy with Will anyway. I don't understand why you kept trying so hard. I mean, you admitted that Melanie told you to move on. She and I are trying to help you, but you won't accept it!"

Melanie put her arm on Abigail to make her stop talking. She knew that what Abigail had to say was only making things worse for Gabi. "Let's just go."

Gabi closed the door after Melanie and Abigail left. She went back to the couch and decided to text her brother. She hoped he would be able to take a break from work. She did not want to be alone. She wanted to be with someone she could trust.

* * *

><p>Sonny arrived at the park and found Will sitting on a bench. He hesitated to sit next to Will on the bench because of what happened the day before. "Hey, Will. Have you talked to Gabi?"<p>

"No. I don't know if I should try to talk to her. She told me yesterday that she never wanted to see me again. She hates me." Will really wished that he was no longer gay.

Still standing, Sonny felt bad for Will. "I don't think she hates you. I think she's just really confused and upset about the kiss."

Will noticed that Sonny did not want to take a seat next to him. "Are you mad at me for what happened? I'm sorry I put you in that situation with Gabi. I guess I should have been more careful. This is why I don't want to go public. This and the fact that my dad hates that I am gay."

Sonny moved a little closer to Will, but still did not take a seat. "I'm not mad at you, Will. Why would I be? Don't let this stop you from accepting who you are. I hope that you don't hate yourself. I'm sure your dad will come around." Sonny realized that Will noticed he was still standing up. "I didn't mean to make you think I was upset with you. I'm just out of it I guess."

Will watched Sonny take a seat next to him and noticed Sonny seemed a bit out of it. "Are you okay? You don't look so hot… I mean…"

Sonny moved closer to Will. "I'm fine. I am just recovering from last night I guess."

"Here let me try something." Will pulled Sonny closer to him and began to rub his head. "How does that feel?"

"It feels good. I took an aspirin earlier, but I don't think it's working." Sonny began to feel better thanks to Will.

"So why are you recovering? What did you do last night?" Will forgot that he wanted to talk to Sonny about Chad as he was now more concerned about Sonny.

"I don't really remember most of the night. The last thing I remember was taking out the daughter of my Uncle Victor's clients. I took her out to dinner and I guess we got carried away with the drinks in the limo." Sonny tried to remember what happened after, but he could not. "The daughter's name was Kinsey."

Will began to rub Sonny's shoulders, but paused when he heard Kinsey's name. "Did you say Kinsey? Do you know her last name?" Will wondered if Sonny went out with his friend Kinsey from high school.

Sonny tried to think of Kinsey's last name. "I don't think she ever told me her last name. I didn't even meet her parents last night." Sonny scratched his head. "She is a bit shorter than us. She has dark brown hair and these really big blue eyes. She's a huge flirt and she has her blunt moments."

As Sonny described Kinsey, Will quickly realized that Sonny did take his friend out to dinner the night before. "That's the Kinsey I know. We graduated together from Salem High."

Sonny turned towards Will causing Will to stop rubbing his shoulders. Will's hands fell onto Sonny's lap. "Wait. That's impossible because she and my Uncle Vic said that she was new to Salem. She couldn't be the same girl."

"Well, with the way you described her, she sounds just like my friend." Will got an idea and pulled out his cell phone. He glanced through his photos and found one of Kinsey. "Look at this picture. This is my friend Kinsey."

Sonny looked at the picture and realized it was the same girl. "But… why would she lie? Why would my great-uncle lie?"

"I don't know, but there's no way that Kinsey's parents are Victor's clients. Her dad had to declare bankruptcy. They've pretty much lost all of their money. They have no business to give to Victor." Will could see the confusion in Sonny's eyes. Will took Sonny's hand. "What are you thinking?"

The more Sonny thought about the situation, the more he realized that Victor had set him up. "Oh my gosh. He wouldn't." Will squeezed Sonny's hand and maneuvered his head to keep eye contact with Sonny. "I think the old man set me up with Kinsey hoping that it would help me become straight."

Will could sense how horrified Sonny felt about the idea that Victor would do that to him. "I don't know, Sonny. Anything is possible I guess. My great-grandmother told my parents that you did drugs to keep us away from each other."

Will's comments triggered something in Sonny as he looked at his phone. Sonny stood up. "I have to talk to him. I need to find out the truth from him."

Will stood up with Sonny. "I can go with you if you want me to."

Sonny shook his head. "No, I need to do this alone." A tear fell down Sonny's right eye. "I can't remember anything last night and it might be all his fault."

Will pulled Sonny into a hug. "If you need me or change your mind, let me know!"

"I will. I should go." Sonny separated from Will and headed back to the Kiriakis Mansion.

* * *

><p>At the Salem State Penitentiary, Sami took a seat while waiting for her visit with Rafe. She finished putting her shoes back on after the guards searched her. When she looked up, she spotted her father entering the waiting room. "What the hell are you doing here? Are you following me now?"<p>

Roman made his way to Sami. "I told you that I would keep my eye on you, didn't I? It did not take me long to realize that you came here to visit Rafe, so I guess that is what I'll be doing."

Sami huffed at her father. "I'm here to see Rafe alone. You have to wait in line. I was here first."

Roman crossed his arms over his chest. "And why would you visit Rafe now? I mean, I thought you were done with him. I thought you told him that you never wanted to see him again when I arrested him for almost killing you. What on earth would you have to talk to Rafe about now after all these months?"

"It's none of your business. I just need to talk to him." Sami wished her father would just leave her alone.

"You know what I think?" Roman asked demanding her to look at him.

"No, but I am sure you will tell me." Sami rolled her eyes.

"I think you're covering for EJ and that family that you're so set on being a part of. I'm going to find out what it is that you're covering up when I talk to Rafe." Roman took a seat next to Sami causing her to huff at him again.

A guard walked over to Roman and Sami with a questioning look. "Are you two here to see Rafael Hernandez?"

"I was here first. I made the appointment first. We are not visiting him together," Sami quickly blurted out hoping that she could rid of her father.

"Well, I hate to inform you that neither of you are going to visit with Mr. Hernandez today. Your visitation has been canceled." The officer began to walk away.

Sami and Roman stood up confused as to what just happened. "Wait. Why was it canceled?" Sami asked moving closer to the guard to cut off her father.

The guard turned back to Sami and Roman and answered rather nonchalantly, "Rafael Hernandez was found dead in his cell this morning. No one will be visiting him now." Sami and Roman looked at each other surprised by the news. Neither of them knew how to make sense of what they just heard.


	40. Chapter 40 The Kill

**Chapter 40: The Kill – Saturday, July 16th, 2011**

Sami and Roman continued to reel over the fact that Rafe was found dead in his cell that morning. Before the guard could walk away, Roman decided he needed more information. "How did he die?"

"I'm sorry, but I am not allowed to discuss anything further. I'm sorry for the inconvenience." The guard began to walk away.

Sami wanted to know how Rafe died as well and was willing to use her father's credentials to get answers. "But he's the commissioner of the Salem PD. You should be able to answer his questions."

"I'm sorry again, but like I said, I can't say anymore than that. You two should probably leave the premises." The guard left.

Roman turned to Sami. "Well it looks like your fiancé and future father-in-law took care of Rafe before he could spill anything about them. Why can't you see that they are only playing you?"

Sami rolled her eyes at her father. "You are so wrong about this. They had nothing to do with Rafe's death." Sami left the building to head back to the Dimera Mansion. She was still in a bit of a shock over what happened. She began to wonder what it all meant.

* * *

><p>Will walked into the Dimera Mansion just as Chad walked down the stairs. When Chad saw Will he immediately went in for a hug. "Will, where have you been?"<p>

Even though it felt good to be in Chad's arms, Will kept his distance after they separated. "I was hanging out with my father."

Chad began to wonder if Will was upset with him because he noticed that Will seemed somewhere else. "Are you okay? Did I do something wrong?"

Will looked away from Chad and put his hand on the handrail of the stair case. "I've just had a lot on my mind I guess."

Chad put his hand on Will's arm. "Come on, buddy. Tell me about it. Why do you look so down?"

Will looked up at Chad and tried to smile. "I don't want you to worry about it. I'll get through it. I'll be fine." Will felt bad for shutting Chad out, but he knew it was for the best for the both of them.

"Don't shut me out. You know that I am here for you… whatever you need." Chad did not understand why Will did not want to open up to him. He still did not know why Will was crying the other night. Chad wondered if it had anything to do with him and his family.

"Look, I just came here to take a shower. I have to meet up with someone soon, so I should go do that now." Will pulled himself up the stairs using the handrail.

Chad watched Will disappear upstairs. He scratched his elbow as he continued to look up the stairs. He hated that Will had distanced himself from him again. "What is going on with you, Will, and why won't you tell me?" he asked silently.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Sonny arrived at the Kiriakis Mansion and slammed the door after he entered the foyer. He headed into the living room and found Victor reading the paper. Victor looked up from the paper and smiled, ignoring the fact that Sonny slammed the front door. "Did you have a good time with Kinsey last night? I noticed you never made it home last night."<p>

Sonny stared at him for a moment before answering. "I don't remember." Sonny stared Victor down, but when Victor gave him a confused look he began to question whether Victor was guilty. Sonny replayed his conversation with Will again and shook off his doubts. "Don't play me for a fool, Uncle Vic. I know that you hate the fact that I am gay, and I also know that you set me up last night. Kinsey is not your client's daughter. She's just a girl you picked up hoping she would do the trick to make me straight."

Victor returned his eyes on the paper. "Did the whore work or not?"

Sonny stepped back in shock. He could not believe that Victor, a man he loved so dearly, did not deny that he planted Kinsey into his life. "I can't believe you would do something like that to me. I thought we were family. You were always my favorite, but now I can't imagine why." Sonny grabbed the paper from Victor's hands and threw it on the couch to get his attention. "Are you even listening to me? Is this your way of telling me that as long as I am gay that you will always ignore me and pretend I am something else?"

Victor stood up to Sonny. "Listen to me! As long as you are gay, you will be the disgrace of this family… the black sheep. I hope that you figure out that your current lifestyle is no way to live. Man up and stop being such a sissy!"

Sonny stood his ground and looked straight into his great-uncle's eyes. "Just because I am gay does not mean I am weak! We are through here… I'm moving out!" Sonny glared at Victor and then headed towards the door.

"If you walk out of this house you can say goodbye to all the perks you received for being a Kiriakis," Victor threatened. "The money… the comfort… and the internship!"

Sonny hated that he would lose all those things, but he knew that living at the mansion was not worth it. "You forgot one thing, Victor! Manipulation! I know that you messed with my phone so that I could not talk to Will. You are pathetic!" Sonny walked out of the house and slammed the door again.

* * *

><p>Sami walked into the living room and found EJ and Stefano talking business. Chad walked in after her because he wanted to talk to Sami about Will. EJ gave Sami a weird look, "Samantha, what are you doing back early?"<p>

Sami moved her hair to the side of her face. "The visit was canceled. I've got some news… can't really tell if it's good or bad yet."

Stefano became concerned. "What's going on?"

"Rafe is dead," Sami declared. "He was found in his cell this morning."

EJ and Stefano looked to each other in shock. "Do you know anything else pertaining to his death?"

Sami shook her head at EJ's question. "No, the guard would not tell me anymore about it."

Chad did not really care about Rafe as his thoughts were still focused on Will. He noticed that his father still seemed upset with him. "So why aren't you sure if this is good or bad news? I thought all of you hated Rafe? Isn't it good news that he's dead?"

Sami turned to Chad, but addressed EJ and Stefano as well. "Unfortunately my father was there, too. He followed me there. He thinks that you guys are responsible for his death and warned me not to trust you."

Annoyed, EJ threw his hands up in the air. "I wonder if this was Rafe's plan all along. He wanted to make us look guilty for his death while hurting our relationship."

"Don't even worry about that Elvis because we had nothing to do with Rafael's death." Stefano pulled out his phone. "I'll have Marco look into it and confirm that he really is dead."

The thought of his family being in trouble again frustrated Chad even more. "All of this is so freaking annoying! Why is it that every time something bad happens we are to blame? Don't you guys ever get tired of this? Don't you ever just want to get away from all of this bull shit?" Chad looked at everyone in the room as they just stared at him unsure of how to respond. "I need to get out of here. I can't take this right now." The others watched him leave. EJ and Stefano wondered what was wrong with Chad.

* * *

><p>Justin arrived at the Cheatin' Heart after Adrienne left him a voicemail asking him to come by when he had the chance. He found her behind the bar working. "Adrienne, I thought Dario was working today."<p>

Adrienne looked up to Justin. "He told me he needed an extended break to go somewhere. He and Sonny got into it this morning."

Justin took a seat at the bar. "Is Sonny okay?"

"Dario apologized, but I'm still worried about Sonny." Adrienne remembered how Sonny told her that he could not remember the night before. "Did Sonny tell you about how Victor asked him to take out a client last night?"

"Yeah. He mentioned it to me. Did something happen?"

"Too much has happened. I think your uncle has made it clear that Sonny will never be fully accepted for being gay. He went out last night with Victor's client and got drunk. Sonny claims that he can't remember anything from last night, and I think Victor had something to do with it." Adrienne moved her hair from her face waiting for her husband's response.

Justin did not like hearing what Adrienne had to share. "Maybe we need to move out of the family mansion then." Justin rested his hand on the bar. "Although it might take a while for us to find a place big enough for all of us and our stuff."

Having heard his parents talk about moving out of the mansion when he walked in, Sonny headed over to the bar. "You guys don't have to move out of the mansion. Victor is upset with me… not you. I'm moving out. I just told the old man." Sonny tried to keep a straight face about it and did not want to talk about the fight he just had with Victor.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Adrienne asked.

"Yeah, mom. I think it would be good to have my own place. You know me... I like my space." Sonny really tried hard not to show the hurt in his face, but his parents could see it.

"We'll help you find an apartment or something," Justin said as he rested his hand on Sonny's shoulder. "Everything will be fine. Don't worry about what Victor thinks or believes. You still have two very proud parents who love you very much."

"I know, dad. I love you guys, too." Sonny gave his father a hug. Adrienne walked over from behind the bar and joined in on the hug.

* * *

><p>Having heard a knock on the door, Gabi opened the door hoping it was Dario. Unfortunately, it was Will. Gabi gave him one look and tried to slam the door on him, but Will stopped it from shutting. "Go away, Will. I don't want to talk to you."<p>

Will knew that he was the last person Gabi wanted to see, but he needed to talk to her about what happened. "Gabi, please let me in. I need to talk to you."

Gabi glared at Will. "Why should I? You proved to me yesterday that you never really cared about me. You only care about yourself."

"Gabi, I really wish I could take it all back and start from the beginning. The truth is I was scared," Will admitted and realized he caught Gabi's attention. "So can I come in so we can talk about what happened?" Will noted that Gabi would not budge. "If you don't want to talk then can I ask you one question?"

Gabi began to struggle with her feelings for Will. She felt extremely upset with Will for what happened, but a part of her still cared about him. She knew at some point that she and Will would have to talk about this, but she was not sure if now would be the right time. "Sure. What's your question?" she asked giving in a bit.

Will knew he had to make this question count if he wanted to make amends with Gabi today. Will gave Gabi a sincere look. "Do you really find me so repulsive that you only feel hatred towards me?"

Gabi tried to avoid looking into Will's eyes, but she could hear and feel the hurt and pain in him as well. Will's question made it sound like she wanted him dead. As much as Will upset her, she knew in her heart that she wanted to be a part of his life still. Before she answered, she opened to door completely to let Will come in.

Surprised, Will walked in and turned to Gabi as she closed the door. "Thanks for letting me in, Gabi."

Gabi looked up at Will and frowned. "I don't really hate you, Will. Things are just really bad for me right now, and I hate that this happened to us."

"I did not want this to happen. I tried my best to avoid all of this, but I guess I got careless." Will stopped talking when he noticed that the front door knob turned. "Are you expecting someone?"

Gabi turned to the door and realized Dario had finally arrived. "Oh my gosh." She also realized what Dario would do once he saw Will.

Before Gabi could warn Will, Dario walked in and spotted Will. "You… what the hell are you doing here?" Dario pushed Will to the ground and climbed on top of him. "You're going to pay for what you did!" Dario began to punch Will as Gabi watched in horror.


	41. Chapter 41 Close To You

**Chapter 41: Close to You – Saturday, July 16th, 2011**

Gabi rushed over to Dario and Will and tried to pull her brother off of Will. "Dario, stop! Please don't hit him anymore."

Dario gave Will one last punch as Gabi pulled him off of Will. "Why Gabi? He deserves this for what he did. What he did was horrible!"

"If I let you go, promise me you won't go after him!" Gabi gave Dario a serious look. "¡Prométeme!"

Dario nodded his head and Gabi let him go. "Why is he even here?"

"I let him in because I want to talk to him alone. I know I asked you to come over, but I am okay now. Don't worry." Gabi walked over to Will and helped him back up.

Dario and Will kept eye contact. "I'm sorry I attacked you, but I had to do it for my sister."

Gabi could still feel the intensity of Dario's anger in his words. She turned to her brother. "Are you okay? You seem more upset about Will and Sonny than me?"

"Well, what do you expect? He hurt you… of course I'm upset." Dario did not like Gabi pointing that out. "Look, I should head back to work. I just came by to check on you because your text seemed urgent. I'm sorry I bothered you."

Gabi helped Will to the couch and then rushed to the door as her brother walked out. "Dario, don't be like this. Don't be mad." Dario did not respond or return. Gabi sighed and closed the door. She turned back to Will who was rubbing his face. Gabi grabbed a small towel and put some ice in it. "Here." She handed it to Will and took a seat next to him.

Will put the ice on his bottom lip. "Thanks." He turned towards Gabi. "I hope that you at least feel better about your brother beating me up because I don't blame him. What I did to you…"

"Will," Gabi said interrupting him. She ignored what Will had to say about Dario hitting him. "Did you always know you were gay?"

Will looked down. "No. I recently realized it. I guess deep down I did, but I always made excuses for the way I saw things. I'm so sorry that I did this to you. I hope you know I never thought this would happen. I really do care about you."

Gabi thought about how Dario beat on Will and realized she had done the same thing to Will and her other friends. She let her anger take control and lashed out on them. "I'm sorry that I said those awful things to you, but I was hurting really bad even before I stumbled on you and Sonny."

"What happened?" Will asked as he looked up at Gabi. He felt bad for making things worse for Gabi.

"I'd rather not talk about it." Gabi looked away from Will. "I've just made some poor decisions for the wrong reasons and I wish things had played out differently." As she finished speaking, she made eye contact with Will.

Will could see the pain and hurt in her eyes. His eyes began to water. "I'm so sorry that you're hurting. I wish I could make you feel better." Tears slowly fell down his face.

Seeing the tears fall from his face caused tears to fall down Gabi's face as well. Still feeling a bit frustrated about having to find out Will's secret the way she did, she took Will's free hand questioning how much he really cared about her. "Why didn't you confide in me before then? Why did you not tell me when you broke up with me?"

"I was scared," Will admitted. He looked down as he continued. "Do you think you can forgive me?"

Gabi let go of Will's hand and moved away from Will as she thought about forgiveness. "I'm not ready for that yet. I'm sorry, but I still have all these thoughts in my head. I think I need some space from it all." Gabi knew she needed to heal and forgive herself before she could forgive anyone else.

"I understand." Will stood up to leave. "Is there any way we could talk later?" Will handed her the towel containing the ice.

"Yeah," Gabi agreed as she stood up. She walked Will to the door and gave him a hug. Placing her mouth near his ear, she whispered, "I still love you." They let go of each other. Will smiled and left. Both understood that Will could not say it back.

* * *

><p>At the Dimera Mansion, Sami poured herself a drink thinking about how Rafe's death was a curse. "He played his cards well, EJ. He's going to take down this family because I'm sure everyone thinks that we're responsible."<p>

EJ took the drink from Sami's hand and placed it back on the table. He took her in his arms to try to calm her. Running his fingers in her hair, he gave her a kiss on the top of her head. "Samantha, just calm down. You heard my father. He said that we had nothing to do with it, so it's not like we can go down for something that we're innocent of." EJ looked into Sami's eyes. "Maybe we should focus on more important things… like our wedding in two weeks."

Sami smiled as she thought about the fact that she would be Mrs. Dimera soon enough. "You're right. I feel better already."

EJ let Sami go, but continued to hold her hands. "… or you could maybe find Will and talk to him. You don't want to avoid him, do you?"

Once again, EJ was right. "I know… I know." Sami thought about confronting Will about his secret, but a part of her still feared talking to Will about it. "Honestly, I am afraid I won't know what to say when he tells me. I don't want to disappoint him."

"You don't really have to say anything. Just be there and show him that you love him no matter what." EJ smiled at Sami to assure her that everything would work out in the end.

* * *

><p>At the Cheatin' Heart, Sonny sat at the bar looking through the paper to find a place to live. As he looked through, he circled a few places he wanted to check out. He pulled out his phone so he could make some calls later.<p>

Dario walked in and spotted Sonny sitting at the bar. He immediately thought about how he held Sonny against the wall earlier. He began to regret the way he confronted Sonny about kissing Will. He walked behind the bar and began to make a drink. Trying to play off what happened that morning, Dario kept his focus on his work as he spoke, "What are you doing?"

Sonny looked up surprised that Dario talked to him. Before answering, he looked around to make sure Dario was indeed talking to him. "I'm looking for an apartment. I moved out of the mansion today."

Dario gave Sonny a strange look as he handed the drink to Sonny. "You moved out when you don't even have a place to stay? That doesn't make much sense."

Sonny looked down at the drink and realized Dario made his favorite. He also noticed that Dario's hand was slightly bruised. "What happened to your hand?"

Dario quickly removed his hand from Sonny's glass and covered it up with his other hand. "I… accidentally hit something."

Sonny gave Dario a serious look. "What? What did you hit? It looks like you hit something several times."

Dario felt bad for what he did to Will and figured there was no use hiding what he did to Sonny. "I hit Will."

Sonny quickly became concerned. "Is Will okay?"

Dario could not shake the feeling that Sonny did have feelings for Will. "Yeah, he's fine. I didn't do too much damage." Dario rubbed his hand and watched Sonny. "Are you and Will really together?"

"No," Sonny answered rather quickly.

"But you're into him. I can see it in your face." Besides the obvious reason that involved his sister, Dario wondered why the idea of Will and Sonny being together bothered him so much.

Sonny sensed a bit of jealousy in Dario's voice. "I do think Will is attractive and is a really sweet guy, but I know he's not the one." Sonny looked into Dario's eyes when he spoke, but when he finished Dario quickly looked away.

Dario grabbed a towel to wipe the bar. "I'm sorry about earlier… when I attacked you this morning. I guess I let my anger get the best of me."

Sonny moved his head so that Dario would look at him. "I'm sorry, too. That kiss with Will just happened and it was a mistake. It shouldn't have happened. I hope you know that I never meant to hurt you."

Dario felt uncomfortable and tried to play off how he felt. "It's okay. You didn't really hurt me. It's my sister that you hurt."

"Right. I'll make sure that I apologize to her." Sonny realized that Dario did not feel comfortable talking about his feelings. He decided to let it go, so he could continue looking for a place to live.

Dario could not keep his focus away from Sonny. He watched him as he read the paper. "So where are you staying the night tonight?"

Sonny grabbed his phone and looked up to Dario. "I'm staying at Abigail's until I find a place to move into. I'm trying to get this done as soon as possible." Sonny began to dial a number on his phone.

"I'm glad you have a place to stay." Dario watched Sonny mess with his phone. He thought about inviting Sonny to stay over at his apartment, but figured Gabi would not appreciate that.

Sonny put his phone to his ear and when the other person answered, Sonny responded. "Hi. I saw your listing in the paper and I was wondering if there was any way I could check out the apartment today."

* * *

><p>Later that evening, Roman and Abe discussed the situation with Rafe at the Carver House. Sitting on the couch next to Roman, Abe asked, "Were you able to find out how Rafe died?"<p>

"Yes. He was found with sheets tied around his neck. The guards seem to think that he might have hung himself, but a lot of them also question why he would do that."

Abe still could not believe Rafe was dead. "Did he have a cell mate? I mean, he's been trying to get in touch with me about the Dimeras, but I never responded."

"He had a cell mate. Apparently he is still being questioned by the authorities at the penitentiary, but he's not saying anything." Roman gave Abe a quizzical look. "Why did Rafe want to talk to you about the Dimeras?"

"He claimed to have something on them like he always claimed before he went to prison. I just assumed he was bluffing." Abe wondered if he made a mistake.

After putting Theo to bed, Lexie began to walk down the stairs, but stopped when she overheard Roman and Abe talking about Rafe. She decided to listen in before making her presence known.

Roman gave Abe a knowing look. "Well, I think you know as well as I do that the Dimeras could be responsible for Rafe's death. I mean, they already look guilty in that man's death in the park."

"You think they could be guilty of both?" Abe knew the Dimera family played on the illegal side of things, but he doubted they were involved in both as there was nothing to link the two crimes. "All I know is that we need to get answers. We need to make arrests as soon as possible."

Lexie decided to make her presence known. "I just put Theo to sleep, honey," she announced as she made her way down the stairs. She looked at Roman and pretended to be surprised to see him. "Roman, I had no idea that you were here. Would you like something to drink?"

Roman stood up and smiled at Lexie. "No, thank you, Lexie. It's getting late and I should probably get out of here." Roman turned to Abe, who stood up as well. "I'll keep you updated on anything else I find."

Abe shook Roman's hand. "Thanks. I appreciate it. You have a good night." Roman said goodnight and left. Abe took a seat on the couch. "Did Theo put up a fight?"

Lexie smiled at Abe and joined him on the couch. "Not really. We kept the normal routine." Lexie rested her head on Abe's shoulder. "Why was Roman here?"

Abe sighed before answering. "He came by to tell me that Rafe died this morning… investigators are trying to figure out if it was suicide or a murder."

"Are you serious?" Lexie asked. Abe shook his head to confirm she heard right. Lexie questioned her family's involvement in Rafe's death.

* * *

><p>At the Horton House, Sonny arrived with some of his things and some good news. When Abigail opened the door, he walked in and put his things down. "I've got an announcement. I signed on a place tonight!"<p>

Abigail gave Sonny a strange look. "Already? But I thought you just started looking today."

"Well, I found an apartment close to Melanie and Dario's apartment building and they let me check it out. I loved it so much, I decided that there was no point in looking at other places… so I move in tomorrow." Sonny smiled trying to think positive about the changes going on in his life.

Abigail pulled Sonny to sit on the couch and gave him a serious look. "I hope you know that you staying here is not an inconvenience for me, my mother, or Nathan. You really did not have to rush this."

"I know," Sonny started. "I guess I'm just ready to be on my own and not really rely on family to take care of me. I want to be able to depend on myself again. I got too comfortable living in that mansion."

"So this is about proving Victor wrong?" Abigail could tell she struck a nerve with Sonny. "I know that you moved out because he did not agree with your lifestyle."

"Even though my life seems to be in limbo right now, I know that I made the right decision in moving out of that mansion. If I stayed there, I would probably feel even more confused about life than I am now." Sonny's positive thinking seemed to take a hit to the fact that his future seemed so uncertain in Salem.

Abigail felt bad for her cousin. She pulled him into a hug. "You don't have to prove anything to Victor. I'm sorry that Victor can't look past the gay thing and just see you for who you really are: a great guy."

"Thanks." Sonny did not want to continue talking about his issues with Victor and decided to change the subject. "So how are you and Chad?"

Abigail thought about her conversation with Chad the night before. "Honestly, I don't know what to do about Chad. I feel stuck."

"What are you stuck on? Your relationship with him?" Sonny wondered if Will or Abigail would get their happy ending with Chad. Chad seemed like a complicated guy.

"Well, not really. It's more about my statement to the cops about seeing Chad with that guy that died in the park last month. I'm considering the possibility of recounting my statement." Abigail confessed.

"What would you say?" Sonny questioned wondering if it was a good idea to do that.

"I guess I would just tell Roman that I confused the guy that died with someone else and that I saw Chad and EJ with another guy." Abigail realized she would have to tweak her answer. "I guess I want to make sure Chad doesn't get in trouble. I don't know what to do."

Sonny felt bad that Abigail was in this situation. He wondered if Chad was worth all the trouble. "I don't know what to say, but I'm here for you if you need to talk it out."

* * *

><p>Will arrived at the Dimera Mansion rather late hoping to avoid running into his mom or anyone else because of his slightly swollen bottom lip. He made his way upstairs to the room he shared with Chad hoping Chad had already fallen asleep. He walked in and heard the radio softly playing in the room with the lights out.<p>

Chad laid in bed thinking about Will when he heard Will come in. He turned on the lamp next to him and turned to find Will starting to undress. "I thought you might stay with your dad again."

Will froze when Chad turned on the lights and turned his face away from Chad. He continued to undress. "I figured I should probably come home tonight."

Chad liked that Will called the mansion his home. "Hurry up, man. I'm getting lonely here," Chad joked hoping that Will would joke back.

Will let out a small laugh. "I'm going as fast as I can." Will finally stripped down to his briefs and got in bed. He pulled the blanket over him and looked at Chad who seemed really excited about him being there.

Chad playfully pulled Will closer to him and then noticed his lip was a bit swollen. "Dude, what happened? Are you okay?" Chad put his hand on Will's lips to inspect them.

Will removed Chad's hand from his lips knowing he had to lie to Chad about what happened. He did not want Chad to know the truth. "I went to the beach today and while I was out swimming this guy accidentally elbowed me in the mouth."

Chad tried to put his hands on Will's face again, but Will would not let him. "Did you at least get it checked out?"

"Yeah. I had Melanie look at it for me." Will could see the concern in Chad's eyes, but he knew the concern only went so far. "I'm fine. Don't worry about it." Will decided to change the subject. "Are we going to the gym tomorrow with EJ?"

"Yeah." Chad thought about how he had sent text messages to Will the last two days, but Will never responded to them. He wondered if Will started to dislike him. Chad shook it off and figured he was thinking too much. Chad turned off the lamp and turned back towards Will. "Come here." Chad wrapped his arms around Will to cuddle with him.

Will laid in Chad's arms and smiled, but the smile did not last. He felt uncomfortable because he realized that he was only allowing himself to feel hopeful at the moment only to feel rejected later. Will knew that being close to Chad like this was only a tease, and he would never get what he wanted. He needed to put a stop to it.

Will removed Chad's arms from around him and moved closer to the edge of the bed. Chad tried to pull Will close to him again, but Will fought him off. Chad sat up in bed and looked over at Will. "Is something wrong?"

"No," Will let out, not wanting to say anything else about it.

Chad felt like Will just shut him out. "Will you just talk to me? Tell me what's going on in your life."

Will turned his head towards Chad. "I'm just tired, Chad. I want to go to sleep. Goodnight." Will turned his head away and scooted closer to the edge.

"Goodnight." Chad laid back down and turned his head away from Will. He questioned whether he went too far with Will with the gay jokes. He wondered if he scared Will off with their closeness. He turned his head back to Will and could hear him breathing. Chad felt like crap, but it was worse than he had ever felt before. He wondered why it hurt so much more when Will rejected him. He hated the fact that he was next to Will but felt so far away from him. Chad wanted that to change, but did not know what to do.


	42. Chapter 42 The Other Brother

**Chapter 42: The Other Brother – Sunday, July 17th, 2011**

The next morning the mysterious man watched Sonny and Dario work out together at the Salem Gym. Sonny and Dario made their way to the water fountain after lifting weights. Sonny put his hand on Dario's back while Dario took a drink. "I'm so glad that you forgave me and we can still hang out."

Dario finished drinking and let Sonny get a drink. "It's hard to stay mad at you." Dario patted Sonny on the back allowing his hand to linger a bit as he touched Sonny.

EJ, Chad, and Will made their way over to the water fountain to get a drink. Chad and Will said hello to Dario and Sonny, while EJ took a drink. EJ turned to his brother and Will and realized that they were distracted by the other guys. "I'm headed to the pool to swim some laps. I'll see you two later."

After EJ walked away, Will pulled Sonny to the side to talk to him alone. "So what happened with you and Victor yesterday?"

"I moved out and I am moving into a new place today," Sonny answered.

"Wow… you already found a place. I hope it's nice." Will smiled at Sonny. He wondered if he should ask Sonny to hang out in the sauna later.

"Oh, it's nice. I'll have to send you the details later… besides, I might need a roommate to help split the cost. My parents are helping now, but I don't want to take their money like that for too long." Sonny gave Will an uncertain look. "You interested?"

Will thought about living with Sonny and figured it might be a nice change. "I'll definitely consider it. Send me the details later and I'll let you know for sure."

"Maybe you could move in today!" Sonny exclaimed slightly joking. "We could have lots of fun."

Will laughed. "Yeah. If anything, I can help you move your stuff in. Most of my stuff is still at the pub."

Chad watched as Will took Sonny to the side to talk. He tried to not let it bother him, so he decided to talk to Dario. "I'm sorry to hear about your brother."

Dario gave Chad a strange look. "My brother? What on earth are you talking about?"

Chad realized that Dario did not know about Rafe's death. He could not believe that no one told him yet. He also did not want to be the one to tell him. "Did I say brother? I meant, sister. Your sister, Gabi."

Dario wondered if Chad knew about Sonny and Will. "It's all been cleared up I guess. Will's lip doesn't look so bad from when I punched him yesterday."

Chad scratched his head. "What do you mean? I was talking about the rumors spreading around that Gabi slept with T. Why would you attack Will?"

Dario realized he assumed wrong. "Did I say Will? I meant T. I got them mixed up because… you know… Will and Gabi dated." Dario strangely felt bad for almost outing Will. If he had not been friends with Sonny, he would have let Chad know about Will. "It's crazy what T and Kinsey did to my sister. If they know what's good for them, they'll stay away from her."

Chad thought it was suspicious that Will had a swollen lip, when Dario claimed he gave one to T, but he decided to let it go. "Yeah. I hope Gabi is okay."

Dario nodded his head feeling a bit awkward about not telling Chad about Will. "Yeah. I think she's getting better. All I know is that her life could not get worse at the moment."

"Yeah. I hope things get better." Chad began to feel awkward about not telling Dario that Rafe was dead. To avoid more awkwardness, he walked over to Will and Sonny. "Will, we should head to the pool to catch up with EJ."

"Yeah." Will turned his attention to Sonny. "I guess text me from a different phone. I'm hoping to get a new phone so we can actually call each other."

Sonny smiled at Will. "Yeah. Sounds good." Chad put his arm around Will to lead him towards the pool. Chad glared at Sonny as he walked off. Sonny glared back, but did not understand why Chad glared at him.

Dario placed his hand on Sonny's back. "We should finish up." Sonny nodded and the two walked off in a different direction. The mysterious man continued to watch them.

* * *

><p>Marco walked into the living room at the Dimera Mansion and found Stefano reading the paper at his desk. "Mr. Dimera. I've got news on Rafe."<p>

Stefano turned his body towards Marco. "Well, spill it. What have you got?"

"Rafe's death was confirmed by a family member last night. It seems that Rafe really is dead." Marco crossed his arms around his chest waiting for his next instructions.

Stefano got up from his chair and made his way to Marco. "Do you know who the family member was?"

"It was his brother, Mr. Dimera. He went in last night and confirmed it was Rafe." Marco added, "Rafe apparently hung himself."

"Well, it must be the real deal then." Stefano figured Dario would have no reason to lie about his brother's death. "Him killing himself makes no sense though. What is his angle?"

Sami walked in. "Are you two talking about Rafe?"

"Yes. Rafael Hernandez is officially dead." Stefano put his arm around Marco to lead him out. "There's something I want you to check on, Marco. Follow me to the basement."

Sami watched as Marco and Stefano left the room. She headed over to the desk and grabbed the paper to see if there was anything about Rafe's death. She sat on the couch when Lucas walked in. "Lucas, what are you doing here?"

"We need to talk. Do you have time?" Lucas gave Sami an annoyed look.

Sami got up from the couch. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Am I the only one who cares about Will? Where have you been? Why am I the only one dealing with Will's problem?" Lucas knew he was not getting anywhere with Will alone. "When are you going to talk to Will?"

Sami rolled her eyes at Lucas. "I will talk to Will when he comes to me. I don't want to pressure him into anything he does not want to discuss with me. When he's ready, he will come to me."

Lucas did not like Sami's answer. "What are you waiting for? We need to nip this gay thing in the bud."

"Are you serious?" Sami questioned Lucas and realized what this was really about. "Being gay is not wrong. Don't tell me you want Will to make the same choice you made when you were younger!"

Sami's comment offended Lucas causing him to slightly back off. "There's no reason to talk about that, so lets move on. We need to focus on Will."

Sami did not budge. "What's so wrong about having a gay son, Lucas? Why are you so ashamed?" Sami asked rhetorically. "Oh, I know. It's because you were too ashamed of how you felt when you were younger and repressed those feelings. Now that your son might be gay, that shame has returned with vengeance and you want it all to go away!"

"I don't have to listen to this. If you don't care about our son, then screw you. I'm going to help him through this. I know what he needs to do!" Lucas headed into the foyer.

Sami followed Lucas to the door realizing that she may have been too harsh on him. "Lucas, I'm sorry, but you know I am right. Why can't you see that what you want Will to do is only going to hurt him?"

Lucas turned around. "Because my life turned out just fine. I couldn't be happier. If you're going to talk to Will, you need to do it soon, but leave what I told you in confidence all those years ago out of it." Lucas left.

Sami sighed and made her way back into the living room. She took a seat on the couch and covered her face with her hands. She worried about Will and hoped he did not end up like his father: alone and unhappy.

* * *

><p>Gabi cleaned the coffee pot out and placed it back on the counter when she heard a knock on the door. She dried her hands and made her way to the door. Once she opened it, she rolled her eyes. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't slam this door in your face?"<p>

T shrugged as he did not have a definite answer. He hated that Gabi did not trust him. "I can't make you decide anything, but I promise you that you've got me all wrong. I had no idea that Kinsey set us up. I want you to know that I really do like you and I would never condone what Kinsey did to you." T studied Gabi's face and looked into her eyes. "I want you to know that I am interested in starting something with you. I should have told you how I felt before we even slept together, and I'm sorry that it played out that way."

Gabi did not know what to think of T's apology. "I don't know if I can trust you right now, T. I don't even want to talk about that night because all I feel right now is regret."

"Can I at least come in so that I can prove to you that I do want to be your friend?" T felt horrible for what he did to Gabi.

"I guess." Gabi motioned for T to walk in.

* * *

><p>Kate arrived at the Horton House and smiled like the Cheshire Cat when Abigail opened the door. "Hey, Abigail. Is your mother around? I needed to talk to her about Lucas."<p>

Abigail did not want to talk to Kate, but she knew she could not be rude. "No, she's not here. You might want to check back later."

Kate looked inside the house. "Do you have any paper inside? I'd like to leave a note."

"Yeah, come in, but I am probably going to head out soon," Abigail lied hoping it would speed up the process of having Kate in the house. Abigail brought Kate over to the desk and pulled out a pad of paper and a pen. "Here."

Kate began to write a message for Jen while glancing at Abigail. She put the pen and pad down. "I feel like I should warn you that Chad is moving on. You two aren't a very good fit."

Abigail rolled her eyes at Kate. "Let me guess… you really came over here to mess with me. You only used my mother to get into the house because you knew that once you started spouting off about Chad, I'd slam that door in your face." Abigail watched as Kate did not deny anything. "Just so you know, I'm not going to lose Chad. I'm going to do whatever it takes to hold onto him." Abigail knew she had to make it up to Chad so that they could be together again.

Kate knew she needed to tear down Abigail's confidence. "You knew that Will moved into the mansion, right?"

"Yeah, Chad told me. Chad tells me everything. We trust each other." Abigail wanted Kate to know that she felt secure in her relationship with Chad.

"Oh… did he tell you that he and Will shared a room?" Kate watched Abigail's facial expression change. "Did he tell you that they share a bed?" Kate continued to watch Abigail and realized she had accomplished her mission.

Abigail stood back and let it all sink in. "Well, that doesn't matter. Will may be gay, but Chad is not." Abigail started looking for anything that would stop Kate at her own game. "I'm not worried… Will is shacking up with Sonny anyway."

Kate stood back in shock to hear that Sonny and Will were together, but she did not dare show it. "That's only temporary. We both know who Will really wants. It's only a matter of time, so enjoy Chad while you can." Kate headed for the door. "I should let you do what you have to do. It's been fun." Kate showed herself out.

Abigail tried to calm herself on the news that Will and Chad shared a room and a bed. "He lied to me!" Abigail took a deep breath as she remembered Melanie and Nathan telling her that she had a bad gaydar. She shook off the memory. "Will and Sonny are together. Chad is straight. He's straight."

* * *

><p>After checking on a patient, Melanie walked into the hall and spotted Nathan laughing with another female nurse. She stopped and watched as the nurse playfully placed her hand on Nathan's chest. "She better watch it," Melanie said to herself.<p>

"I have missed your sense of humor. It's so good to have you back, Dr. Horton," the nurse said as she let her hand fall down his arm.

"You can call me, Nathan," he smiled back. "I should probably head over to my next patient. I will catch up with you later."

"I look forward to it." The nurse walked away.

Nathan looked up and spotted Melanie staring at him. He walked over to her. "Hey. How are you today?"

Melanie realized that she had not let up on staring at Nathan. She broke from her trance and looked around. "Oh, I'm fine. How are you?"

"I'm doing well. I can't really complain I guess." Nathan knew that if he was truthful there would be something he could complain about. "So how are you and Dario?"

"Oh… Dario and I are great!" Melanie smiled lying through her teeth. She really wanted to believe it though. "Have you been able to move on?" Melanie felt horrible for asking the question that way. "I mean…. Have you met anyone new? Sorry I said it… I'm going to shut up now. I'll understand if you don't want to answer my question… and I'm still talking…"

Nathan smiled back at Melanie's awkwardness. "It's fine. I don't mind." Nathan could not help but gaze deeply into Melanie's eyes when he answered. "I'm not seeing or talking to anyone. I haven't really found anyone else that's worth my time." Nathan realized that he lost himself for a moment with Melanie and snapped out of it. "I have to go. I'll talk to you later."

Melanie put her hand up to give Nathan a small wave. She watched as he disappeared into a room. She took a deep breath and wondered if she made the wrong decision in choosing Dario. She began to berate herself for allowing such a thought to enter her mind.

* * *

><p>After working out, Dario arrived outside of his apartment complex. As he headed inside the complex, a man suddenly grabbed him and pulled him into an alley on the side of the building. The man pushed Dario against the wall. Dario lifted his head as he yelled, "What the hell? Who do you think you are?" He paused when he saw the face of the man and stared in shock. "Manny?"<p>

"Baby brother." Manny smiled at Dario and gave him a hug. "It's good to see you, too. You should have seen your face when I grabbed you." Manny began to laugh.

Dario could not believe that his brother was in front of him. He was not amused with the way Manny grabbed him. "¿Que estas haciendo? What are you doing here?

"I'll ask the questions, Dario. Who is that kid that you're always with? You two seem awfully close." Manny gave Dario a serious look.

"Who? Sonny?" Dario remembered seeing his brother at the Cheatin' Heart and at the gym. "You've been in town for a while. Why show your face now?"

Manny looked down to avoid having to look at Dario. "I've got some bad news, bro."

Dario put his hand on Manny as he sensed a bit of sadness and nervousness in Manny. "What is it, Manny?"

Still not looking at his brother, Manny made his announcement. "Rafe is dead. I saw his body last night and he's dead." Dario could not believe it.


	43. Chapter 43 News Gets Out

**Chapter 43: News Gets Out – Sunday, July 17th, 2011**

Remembering that she had to head into work soon, Gabi opened the door so T could leave her apartment. "This is too much to process right now, T. I think you should leave."

T got up from the couch disappointed. "I hope that you'll realize that Kinsey acted on her own when she pulled that stunt. I hope you know that I am telling you the truth. I am done with her, and I really do like you."

"I hear you, but not now. I need to think… alone." Gabi motioned T out the door, but Dario and Manny walked in before T could leave. Dario was too distracted to notice T. Gabi stepped back in shock to see her second oldest brother standing in front of her. "What are you doing here, Manny?"

T noticed that Gabi was too distracted to say anything else to him. "I guess I will see you later." T closed the door as he left.

"I'm here because I have bad news." Manny looked back at Dario, who was still in shock from when he heard the bad news in the alley.

Gabi looked at Dario as well and could sense sadness coming from him. She rushed over to Manny, but kept her distance because she had not seen Manny since she was a kid. "What's going on? Is it Mama?"

"No, Mama is okay. It's Rafe. He's dead." Manny moved closer to his sister and put his hand in her hair. "I saw the body. He's dead."

Tears began to fall out of Gabi's eyes at the news. She felt bad for never visiting her oldest brother when he asked her to. "How did he die?"

Not wanting to get into the details, Manny decided to give limited information. "The prison seems to believe it was a suicide, but I am not completely sure about that."

Gabi headed for her phone. "Have you called the rest of the family and told them? We'll have to plan a funeral." Gabi began to distract herself with plans.

"Gabi, wait." Manny did not want her to call their mother. "I have not called anyone else, but I will do it later today. I feel like I should be the one to give them the news since I have been so absent."

Gabi stopped and looked at her cell. "Oh my gosh. I have work! I don't think I can go now – not after this."

Dario walked over to his sister and gave her a hug. "It might be good to keep your mind busy on other things."

"Dario is right. You should go to work." Manny put his arm around Gabi. "I've missed you guys and I'm back for good. I promise."

Gabi gave Manny a hug. "I wish your return could have come during a better time."

"Me, too, but this made me realize I needed to stop hiding… well hiding from my family." Manny took a seat on the couch. "I need you to do me a favor and not tell anyone – stranger or friend – that I am in town."

Dario gave Manny a curious look. "Why is that?"

"I'm going to get to the bottom of Rafe's death, so that I can confirm whether it was a suicide or not." Manny looked at his brother and sister to make sure they agreed.

"I won't say anything." Dario looked over to Gabi and she promised not to say anything as well.

"Well, I am going to head out. Are you going to stay with us?" Gabi headed towards the door wiping her face.

"Yeah. I'll take the couch while I'm here." Manny patted the couch to check it's comfortableness. "Where I've been this is like sleeping on clouds. It will work out." Manny smiled at Gabi, who smiled back.

After Gabi left, Dario headed towards his room. Manny looked back from the couch. "Where are you going?"

Dario turned his head back to his brother. "I need to shower before going into work."

Manny turned back towards the TV. "Call in sick. We have some catching up to do."

"Okay." Dario didn't want to call in sick, but figured his brother was right. He had no idea where his brother disappeared to when Manny got out of prison. "Let me call in and shower and I'll be back out." Dario headed into his room.

* * *

><p>At the Dimera Mansion, Chad and Will argued with each other in the living room. Chad gave Will a serious look. "Are you really going to do this? Are you really going to move out of the mansion? I don't want you to go."<p>

Trying to lighten the tension, Will smiled at Chad. "I think it will be good for you if I moved out. You'll get your privacy back and you will enjoy the extra space when I'm gone."

Chad did not understand how Will could make this decision so fast and make jokes about it. "I don't care about the extra space. I told you I did not care about sharing my room. You know that I enjoy the fact that we share a room." Chad wondered if Will had a problem with sharing a room with him.

Before Will could respond, he received a text from Sonny describing the apartment with the address. Sonny sent the text through his father's phone. Will smiled and sent a text back saying that he wanted to move in with him and would be by later to help. After the message sent, Will put his phone in his pocket.

Chad noticed how checked out Will was in their conversation. "Who was that? Sonny?"

"Yeah. He just told me that the place is nice and it has two bedrooms. He said it's by Dario's apartment and the Cheatin' Heart." Will hated that Chad was taking this so hard. "I'm sorry this is so sudden, but I need to move on."

Before Chad could ask what he meant, Sami walked in and noticed the tension between the two as well as Will's lip. "What is going on here? Are you guys okay?" Sami moved closer to Will to check out his bottom lip.

"We're fine, mom." Will put his hand on the back of his neck. "I'm moving in with Sonny today. He got a new apartment and needs a roommate."

Sami believed that Will was moving in with his boyfriend. "Are you sure that is a good idea? I mean this seems like a rushed move. You don't want to make a commitment like this too quickly."

"Thank you," Chad said slapping his hands on his legs. "I've been telling Will the same thing." Chad turned to Will. "There's no reason you can't stay here."

Will ignored Chad and decided to answer his mother's question. "He asked me to help him pay for rent and I told him I would. He can't live at the family mansion now. What's wrong with moving in with my friend?"

Sami was disappointed that Will decided to continue hiding the fact that he and Sonny were dating, but figured it had to do with Chad's presence. "I was just noting that you have moved around a lot this summer." She decided she should back off as she did not want to push Will to do anything he was not ready to do. "I love you, Will, and I trust whatever you think is the right decision."

"Thanks mom." Will wondered why his mother seemed so supportive. He looked at Chad who seemed annoyed with the whole situation. "I should probably head up stairs to pack my things."

Sami put her hand on Will. "You wanted to talk to me about something on Friday? We don't have to do it now, but I wanted to remind you that I am here."

Will put his hand on top of hers. "We'll talk later." Will left to pack his things.

Sami turned to Chad and could see that he did not like the idea of Will moving out. "Are you okay, Chad?"

Chad shrugged his shoulders not knowing how to describe how he felt. "I don't know, but I think Will is moving out because he hates me."

* * *

><p>Sonny brought his parents to view his new apartment before they brought up his things. Adrienne left for a moment because she got a call. She walked back in and found Justin and Sonny looking over the place. "Dario just called in sick, which means I am going to have to cover his shift myself."<p>

Sonny stopped talking to his father about where he wanted to put his furniture in the living room. "He's sick? Is it bad?"

Adrienne looked the place over. "He said that he had a fever and needed to rest up."

Sonny hoped that Dario would get better. "So what do you guys think? Isn't it great?"

Justin looked at the ceiling and then turned to Sonny. "It's a nice place, but are you sure you want to move into the first place you checked out? There were a lot of new listings in the paper today. You don't have to rush this."

"I love it. There are two bedrooms, a kitchen 'slash' dining room, a bathroom, and this living room. I can't wait to move my things in here and make it mine." Sonny smiled and then remembered another good thing, "It's not too far from Salem U either."

"And you want Will to move in with you?" Adrienne watched as Sonny nodded his head. "Your father and I are worried that maybe you and Will are moving too fast in your relationship."

Sonny gave his parents a weird look, but before he could tell them that he and Will were not dating, Kate walked in to share her two cents on the situation. "I agree with your parents, Sonny." Kate could tell the others questioned her presence. "Before you ask how I knew you all were here, I'll just say I have my ways." Not skipping a beat, Kate made her way to Sonny. "Now, I don't care if you and my grandson are friends, but I must tell you that I do not like the idea of Will hooking up with you. Stuff like this should never be casual."

Justin and Adrienne looked at each other and smirked at Kate's 'casual' comment. "Kate does have a point," Adrienne started. "You two should not rush into this."

"Hold on with the assumptions." Sonny shook his head at all three of them. "Will and I are not boyfriends. We are just two friends who are moving in with each other who also happen to be gay. There's nothing sexual going on between Will and me."

"Well, that's good then," Kate replied. "I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page. I should go and let you continue your family time." Kate walked out wondering what she was going to do about keeping Will and Chad together.

Adrienne and Justin continued to question Kate's random appearance, but decided to let it go. "We are sorry that we assumed that you and Will were dating. You guys seem to really hit it off and since you're both gay, we just assumed you two were dating."

"It's okay. You're not the first people to assume that," Sonny admitted.

Justin turned to Adrienne and gave her a kiss. "You should probably head off to work. I think Sonny and I can get his things in here and unpacked."

"Are you sure?" Adrienne knew she had to go, but wanted to make sure they did not need any help with anything.

"Yeah, mom. Will should be stopping by soon to help us move the stuff in as well. We'll get it done." Sonny gave his mother a hug so she could leave.

* * *

><p>Back in his and Chad's room, Will packed his clothes into a suitcase. He kept telling himself that he needed to move because Chad would never be gay. Will knew he needed to distance himself from Chad because he would never have Chad the way that he wanted. He also thought about the perks of having a gay roommate. "I've got to do this."<p>

Chad walked into the room, hoping that if he pleaded with Will that he could talk Will into staying with him. "Will, please stay here. Don't move." Chad made his way over to Will's suitcase and stood in front of it, so that Will could stop packing. "Why are you in a hurry to move out?"

Will sighed and packed around Chad's body. Will could not help but notice that he enjoyed touching Chad's body as he packed. He shook off his thoughts and feelings. "I'm making the right decision for the both of us. Trust me…"

Chad did not understand Will's reason and moved over to the side of the bed and took a seat. He decided he needed to change his approach. "Okay," he started. "Just move out and leave me here. If you say this is good for you, then I don't want to stop you. I want you to be happy even if it makes me unhappy."

"Thanks, Chad. That means a lot." Will zipped up his suitcase and headed to the bathroom.

Will's response frustrated Chad even more. "So you don't care if I'm unhappy?" Chad followed Will to the bathroom.

Packing his toiletries, Will turned his head to Chad. "Of course, I care about your happiness. You'll get over it and we'll still be friends."

Chad watched as Will packed away his toothbrushes. "You can leave that spare one here if you ever decide to stay the night."

Will looked at the toothbrush that Chad gave him the first night he stayed with Chad. "I don't know if I will. I really wouldn't have a reason to."

Chad grabbed the toothbrush he gave him and put it back. Will decided to let it stay. Chad thought about how Sonny was very touchy feely with Will. "Do you really trust Sonny? …because I don't." Chad gave Will a serious look, while Will looked back rather confused. "I think Sonny is trying to turn you gay. He likes you and wants you. Did you know that he pretty much told me that in the gym bathroom when he first moved here? He told me that he would take you away from me. I don't trust Sonny."

Will was surprised to hear that Sonny told Chad that but still shook his head at Chad. "I think you have lost it, Chad. Sonny is a great guy. We are just friends and you should know better than to think that someone could ruin our friendship. You don't know Sonny at all… in fact, you don't know me at all if you think I would let Sonny get in the way of our friendship."

Annoyed, Chad shot back, "Well, it's your fault I don't know you because you keep shutting me out. How am I supposed to know what you're thinking or feeling if you don't tell me what is going on?"

Will knew Chad had a point, but did not want to get into his secret with Chad. Part of him wanted to tell Chad, but another part told him it was not the right time. "Well, I guess you've got everything figured out." Will took his toiletries and walked back into the bedroom.

Chad followed Will realizing that Will just shut him out once again. He pulled Will around and got in his face. Pleading with Will, Chad began to get even more emotional, "What did I do wrong? If you don't tell me what I did wrong, than I can't fix it. I want to fix this."

Will could see the frustration and hurt in Chad's eyes. In a calm tone, Will assured Chad with as much honesty as he could allow, "You have done nothing wrong, Chad. You just haven't done what I want you to do." Will grabbed his things and left the room.

Chad took a seat on his bed and scratched his head. He wondered what Will meant. He wondered what Will wanted him to do.


	44. Chapter 44 Don't Settle

**Chapter 44: Don't Settle – Sunday, July 17th, 2011**

After moving everything in, Justin and Will took a seat on the couch to relax while Sonny went out to the store to grab a few things. Will looked the room over wondering if he had much to add to the apartment. "I'll probably grab the rest of my things from the pub later this week."

"If you need any help Sonny and I can give you a hand. We sure got everything in faster than I thought we would when you showed up." Justin looked the place over. "Sonny did good. I'm really proud of him."

Will looked at Justin and noticed how happy Justin seemed. "Can I ask you a question?"

"You mean one after the question you just asked?" Justin joked. "Sure. What do you want to know?"

"How did you handle the news when Sonny came out to you?" Will turned his body on the couch to face Justin.

Justin thought back to when Sonny came out to him and Adrienne. "Well, I was shocked at first, but I quickly realized that Sonny was still the same kid I raised. Sexual orientation does not change a person's identity. He's still my boy."

Will watched Justin as he explained the experience and could see the love Justin had for Sonny. It was really inspiring to hear that Justin did not view Sonny differently. "That's really cool."

Justin turned to Will. "How did your parents respond when you told them?"

Will suddenly felt embarrassed that Justin knew he was gay. He did not understand how Justin knew. "How did you know? Did Sonny tell you?"

Justin realized he may have overstepped and gotten his son in trouble. "No. Sonny did not tell me. I figured it out when your great-grandmother was so adamant in keeping Sonny away from you. I'm sorry if I overstepped."

Will looked down for a moment questioning whether he should continue the conversation. He looked back up to Justin. "I've only talked to my father about it." Will wished that Lucas was more like Justin. "I think he hates me now, so now I am afraid to talk to my mom about it."

Justin felt bad when he heard Lucas's response. "I'm sure your dad will come around. I think you should talk to your mother. She might surprise you."

* * *

><p>At the Dimera Mansion, EJ and Sami began to discuss the wedding. EJ took a seat at the desk, while Sami checked her list of things she needed to finish before the wedding. EJ turned the chair to face Sami. "So who are we expecting to show up to our wedding? We sent an invitation to my aunt, but she and the family cannot make it. Any of your family going to show up for this?"<p>

Sami looked at her list to see who confirmed. "I'm not really sure and it's been really stressful because most of the responses I've received from family are 'maybes' and 'I don't knows'."

"What about groomsmen and bridesmaids? I figured I would have Chad as my best man and maybe Will and your brother, Eric, as my groomsmen." EJ got up and took a seat next to Sami to look at the confirmation list.

"Well, Eric is probably the only family member on my side that gave a definite yes, which is surprising because I never thought he would come back to Salem." Sami looked through her list and became frustrated. "I have a problem because I am not sure I will have a maid or matron of honor. Carrie told me the other day that she and Austin may not be able to come. Belle told me that she most likely won't make it either."

EJ could sense Sami's frustration. He placed his hand on hers. "Well, maybe you could ask Kate or Lexie to step in as your matron of honor," EJ joked letting out a small laugh.

Sami rolled her eyes at EJ. "I'm not amused. I don't know what to do." Sami looked at her list. "At the very least, I could have Gabi and Abigail as bridesmaids. I talked to them about this before, but we still need to find a bridesmaid dress that works."

EJ kissed Sami on her temple. "It's going to work out. Don't worry." Just then, Harold showed in Roman. EJ stood up. "Roman, what are you doing here?"

Roman put his hands up. "It's okay EJ. I'm not here to arrest you. What I have to say won't take long."

Sami wanted to chew her father out, but decided she should stay nice so that he would come to her wedding. "What is it?"

"I wanted to let you know that my witness has recounted her statement. You and your brother are in the clear now." Roman saw relief come over EJ and Sami's faces. "Just so you know, I see this as a minor setback. I still plan on getting to the bottom of everything. I'll show myself out."

After Roman left, EJ took a seat next to Sami again. "See? I just told you that it's going to work out." EJ kissed Sami. "I guess Chad came through on the Abigail front. He definitely did something right."

* * *

><p>From the bar at the Brady Pub, Caroline watched Gabi as she worked because she noticed something seemed off with Gabi. She moved a bit slower and took many breaks. Caroline wondered what was on Gabi's mind.<p>

Melanie walked in and spotted Gabi. She walked over to her, "Hey Gabi. Can we talk?"

Gabi looked around and figured it would be okay. "I'm sorry I went off on you and Abigail yesterday." Gabi's thoughts wandered to Rafe's death and her eyes began to water.

"It's okay. You had every right to be upset. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you." Melanie noticed a tear fall off Gabi's face. "You're still upset about it, aren't you?"

Gabi wiped her face and tried to stop the tears from coming out. "It's not just that…" As much as Gabi tried to stop the tears, she finally broke down causing everyone to look at her.

Melanie quickly put her arm around Gabi to lead her to the back. Caroline followed the girls. "We can take her to my office." Caroline led Melanie and Gabi to her office, so they could find out why Gabi was so upset. "Gabi, what is going on?" Caroline made Gabi take a seat as she and Melanie tried to comfort her.

Trying to control her sobbing, Gabi looked up to Caroline and Melanie. "I'm so sorry. I thought I could control my thoughts and feelings, but it keeps hitting me."

Melanie bent down and took Gabi's hand. "What keeps hitting you?"

"Rafe is dead. He committed suicide!" Gabi confessed as she continued to cry. Saying it out loud to someone else made it seem so final.

Caroline was slightly relieved that this sadness had nothing to do with Will, but felt bad that Gabi lost her oldest brother. "I wish you had just called in. You are in no state to work right now, Gabi. He's your brother and I know you loved him dearly."

Melanie did not know what to say as the news surprised her. Her first thought went to Dario. She wondered how he was taking the news. "I'm sorry Gabi, does Dario know?"

Gabi shook her head. "Yeah. He knows."

"I'll be back. I'm going to call him and see if he can pick you up." Melanie walked out of the office to call Dario.

Caroline gave Gabi a hug trying to avoid saying anything negative about Rafe. "Oh, sweetheart. I'm sorry that you're going through this."

Gabi wiped her face. "Just when I thought my life could turn around after all my stupid mistakes concerning Will and T. Why am I so stupid? Why am I so pathetic? If I had known Will was gay… no… things are still awful… my brother is dead."

Caroline continued to comfort Gabi. "Hush, now. Don't say those things about yourself." Caroline began to feel guilty about how pushing Gabi towards Will even though she knew he was gay, made things worse for Gabi.

Melanie walked in and kneeled in front of Gabi. "Your brother did not answer."

Gabi wiped her face. "He's probably at work. I think he had to work today."

Caroline took Gabi's hand. "You can stay back here if you want. Take all the time that you need. I'll go out there and wait on a few tables. Don't worry about work." Caroline looked at Gabi and realized that her last hope of getting Will back was gone.

* * *

><p>Dario put his cell phone back in his pocket after ignoring Melanie's call. He turned to his brother and thought about how Manny wanted to catch up. Dario was full of questions as he had not seen his brother in quite a while. "So where have you been? I went up to the prison to pick you up, but when I arrived you weren't there."<p>

Manny thought about his time in prison. "I'm sorry about that, but I was not ready to face you or the rest of the family after what happened – you know with the truth coming out that I went to prison for Rafe."

"And now he's dead." Dario still could not believe the news. He turned to his brother and shook his head. "Why did you do it? I never understood why you and Arianna went to jail for that bum. What did he have over you?" It really was no secret to the family that Dario never got along with Rafe.

"I did what I had to. I did it for Mama, Gabi, and you. Rafe could offer more for you three than I could. He worked for the FBI. He brought in the money." Manny hated being in prison for something he did not do, but he believed he made the right decision when Rafe called him all those years ago. "Besides Arianna was partially guilty for being the druggy that she was. She just took a heavier sentence to cover Rafe's ass."

"It still does not make sense, Manuel. You did not kill Emily. They could have given you the death penalty for something you did not do." Dario thought about when Rafe told him and the rest of the family that Manny killed Emily in a car accident. "What exactly happened to make you decide to take the fall?"

"I don't know if I should tell you. I don't want you to hate Rafe more than you already do. He's dead and it's a tragedy that you hate him." Manny wanted Dario to feel guilty for hating Rafe.

"Well, you don't know what we had to deal with when you and Ari went to jail." Dario thought about how life was easier when Rafe and Manny took on the fatherly duties together since their father walked out on the family. "We weren't the same with only Rafe in charge. We definitely weren't the same when we found out that Rafe was the one that really killed Emily and then went on to try to kill Sami Brady." Dario shook his head at his brother's misdeeds. "Digame, damn it. Tell me how it all went down. Why did Rafe kill Emily?"

Manny turned his body to his brother. "I'll tell you, but you have to promise you will keep this to yourself. No one can know… not Gabi, Mama, or your friends."

"I won't tell anyone. I promise." Dario wondered why this needed to be kept a secret.

"It all falls back to Arianna when she got into drugs thanks to me. I let her have some once and she never dropped it. She got addicted to it, while I walked away from it to find work to help support the family." Manny looked at Dario to make sure he was following him. "At that point, Rafe worked for the FBI and was working on a drug bust that involved some big drug lord. He was getting closer to pinning down the guy, when one of the head dealers called Rafe into a meeting. This guy made Rafe believe that he was willing to name and testify against the drug lord."

"So they met up? What happened next?" Dario was intrigued to finally know what happened between his three older siblings.

"Rafe showed up to talk to the guy, but things took a turn. The drug dealer said he had a message from the drug lord and brought out Arianna high on who knows what. The guy told Rafe that if he brought down the drug lord that he would lose Arianna." Manny paused for a moment as he remembered what happened next. "Rafe knew that his plans would have to change because Arianna was there. To save Arianna, he shot and killed the guy in the head and took Arianna home to get her cleaned up."

"Wait. Rafe killed someone else?" Dario could not believe how reckless Rafe seemed to be.

"He killed a drug dealer that threatened Ari's life. What do you expect?" Manny knew that Dario would see this as another mistake made by Rafe. "Look, what Rafe did to save Ari was worth it. He put family first."

"Okay… fine. He looked out for Ari," Dario allowed himself to give Rafe the benefit of the doubt. "That does not explain the fact that you and Ari still ended up in jail…. So what happened next?"

"Well, like I said… Rafe took Ari back to his place… the place he shared with Emily at the time. They were engaged to be married and things got a bit stressful for everyone with Arianna living there. Arianna felt guilty about Rafe blowing his case and killing a guy just to save her. The FBI were giving Rafe beef about his case, so Ari told Rafe she would take the fall for everything… including the murder. Rafe told her that he would fix everything, but things were too complicated and Rafe was close to being found out for compromising the case." Manny stopped to take a break to catch his breath.

"How do you know all of this?" Dario questioned Manny's source.

"Rafe told me most of it, and Arianna filled in the rest later when we wrote in code to each other." Manny began to rub his chin as he thought about what happened next. "Anyway, Arianna and Rafe got into another argument about her taking the fall. Rafe still did not want to go for it. Unfortunately Emily overheard their argument and freaked when she found out Rafe killed that guy. Emily demanded that he come clean about everything because she claimed it was the right thing to do."

Dario was glad he called in sick. "So what did Rafe do next? I mean, we both know that Emily died in a car accident. How did he pull it off?"

"Rafe was able to hold Emily off for a while and began to drug her to keep her calm. Unfortunately, Emily could not be controlled and began to threaten Rafe claiming she would go forward with what she knew." Manny looked down as he continued, "Rafe upped the dosage of the drugs and asked her to pick him up something far away. He told her he would come forward when she returned… but she never came back. She ended up crashing the car into a ditch. She died."

"So Rafe drugged and killed her," Dario stated as questions started to fill his mind. "How do you fit in all of this? What about Ari? When did she go to jail?"

Manny looked up at Dario and took a deep breath. "At that point, Arianna had already gone to prison as she took the blame for killing that drug dealer claiming he threatened to kill Rafe. That's why Emily could not let it go because she felt bad for Arianna." Manny thought about how he got caught up in the mess. "As for me, Rafe called me and told me what happened… how he killed the drug dealer and killed Emily to keep her from talking. It was a mess. He looked so distraught and worried that his career and life were over. He started to worry about the family and wondered if anyone would be able to care for Mama and you and Gabi without his paycheck. That's when I volunteered."

Dario shook his head at Rafe's mistakes and how he always had someone else take the fall for him. "So he pretty much guilt-tripped you into it."

"No," Manny quickly responded. "It was not like that. I told you that I'm the one that got Ari hooked on drugs. Like I said, I stepped up because I realized that Rafe needed to be free so he could take care of you and the rest of the family. Rafe did something with his life. Ari and I did not. He was the good son, who happened to make a few mistakes. It was my turn to do something for the family."

Dario could not believe that Manny still believed Rafe was a good guy. He felt sorry for his brother. "I don't know what to say to that. You sacrificed a lot to do that, so in a way I thank you for that, but I do think you would have done more good if you were with us… instead of Rafe." Dario had always respected Manny more than Rafe. Dario thought about how Rafe almost killed Sami and was found out by EJ and the Salem PD. He also thought about how Manny disappeared after his release. "So where did you disappear to after you got out of prison?"

Manny did not know what to say to Dario. He was not ready to give him that answer. Luckily, there was a knock on the door. "You should get that, but I need to hide. I can't let anyone know that I am here."

Dario and Manny made their way to the door. Manny hid behind the door as Dario looked through the peephole and spotted Sonny. "It's Sonny. My friend from the gym."

Manny whispered, "Get rid of him. Tell him that you can't hang out with him anymore."

Dario did not like Manny's request, but knew he had to get rid of Sonny. He cracked the door open wide enough for him to fit his head through. "Sonny… what are you doing here?"

Holding a grocery bag, Sonny pulled out a can of soup. "I bought you some soup and crackers. Mom told me you were sick, so I thought I would swing by and see if I could make you feel better." Sonny noticed that Dario would not open the door all the way. "Are you going to let me in?"

"I don't want to get you sick, but thanks." Dario grabbed the bag and put it on the floor next to him. "You should probably go." Manny nudged Dario to say the rest. "I need to tell you something else." Dario avoided looking in Sonny's eyes believing that he was doing Sonny a favor by asking him to stay away. "We probably shouldn't hang out anymore. I need space." Wanting to avoid any kind of reaction from Sonny, Dario quickly closed the door. Sonny stepped back when the door closed wondering what just happened. Sonny walked away confused and hurt.

Dario felt bad for what he just did to Sonny. He questioned if asking Sonny to stay away was the right thing to do, but his brother interrupted his thoughts. "You should really get yourself a girlfriend," Manny suggested.

"I do have a girlfriend." Dario wondered what Manny was implying.

Manny smirked at Dario. "You could have fooled me. Why aren't you spending time with her instead of that fag?"

Dario immediately got defensive and stepped up to Manny's face. "Sonny is a good guy. If I ever hear you call him that again, I'll…"

Manny pushed Dario back to shut him up. "Or you'll do what, fag?" Manny shook his head at Dario. "I can't believe my little bro is a fag."

Dario backed off on defending Sonny. "I'm not a fag. I have a girlfriend." Dario remembered how things were growing up and what his family thought of homosexuality. He knew that Manny had a problem with gay people, but wondered why he was so hostile about it.

* * *

><p>Chad needed to get out of the house now that Will no longer lived there. Feeling quite lonely, he decided to head over to Abigail's house to see if she wanted to hang out. He knew that things were still a bit tense between him and Abigail, but he hoped to put that past them so that he could feel better about life. He hoped to get Will out of his mind.<p>

Abigail opened the door and smiled when she saw Chad. She pulled her hair behind her ear and welcomed him inside. "What brings you over?"

Chad thought about how he hated being alone in his bedroom now. "I guess I was a bit restless and came over to see if you wanted to hang out."

Abigail closed the door and turned back to Chad. "Sure. That sounds nice." Abigail and Chad made their way to the couch.

After taking a seat, Chad turned to Abigail. "I realized today how much I missed you."

Abigail smiled back. "I missed you, too." Abigail thought about talking to Roman earlier. "I don't know if you heard, but I recounted my statement."

Chad smiled. "You did?" Abigail nodded her head. "I guess I've avoided everyone since Will moved out. It feels good that I am no longer a suspect!"

Abigail's interest peaked. "Will moved out?" Abigail began to think about Kate's warning as Chad confirmed that Will moved out. "Let's not talk about Will anymore. Let's not talk at all." Abigail moved closer to Chad and placed her hand on his chest. She moved her head closer to his and began to kiss him.

Chad broke away from the kiss and smiled back at Abigail. "You aren't teasing me again, right?" This was the distraction he needed.

Abigail placed her hand under Chad's shirt and began to rub his abs. "No… I promise you I'm not. I'm ready for this." Abigail mounted Chad and the two began to make out. Abigail's hands began to lift Chad's shirt up as she moved her hands to Chad's hard chest. They broke from their kiss so that she could take his shirt off completely.

Chad picked up Abigail as he stood up from the couch. Her legs wrapped around his waist as he laid her on her back on the couch. He pressed his lips against hers as she rubbed his back with her hands. They were getting pretty heavy, when the front door opened. "Oh crap!"

Abigail and Chad quickly separated from each other. Abigail sat up and tried to fix her hair, while Chad grabbed his shirt and quickly put it back on. They turned around to see Jennifer standing there in shock. "Hey mom. You're home early from your date."

Jennifer glanced at her watch and gave her daughter a serious look. "No, I'm not. It's rather late." Jennifer glanced at Chad and did not understand what she just walked in on. Last she checked Chad and Abigail had broken up. She glanced at her watch again. "It's too late to have company over right now, so please say goodnight to Chad and lock the front door after he leaves." Jennifer gave Abigail a serious look before heading upstairs.

Abigail looked back at Chad annoyed that her mother had interrupted them. "I'm sorry about that."

"Your mom did not seem happy to see me." Chad adjusted his shirt. "Sorry if I got you in trouble."

Abigail took Chad's hand and led him to the door. "It's okay. I hope you know that I really wanted to be with you tonight." She gave Chad a kiss.

Chad smiled. "We'll have to make plans later then. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Abigail watched as Chad left.

* * *

><p>Back at Sonny's new apartment, Will and Sonny got into Sonny's bed with their shirts on to go to sleep. Sonny looked over at Will and could see him smiling. "When are you going to bring your own bed over?"<p>

"Do you hate sharing?" Will asked wondering if maybe he assumed wrong.

Sonny moved onto his side and rested his head on his hand to face Will. "No, I don't mind. I did not mean to imply that I did not want to share. I was just curious."

"If possible, I will move my bed and stuff in on Friday." Will felt better about sharing a bed with Sonny. "Chad and I shared a bed every night."

"What?" Sonny asked making a very shocked face. "I need details!"

Will laughed at Sonny's enthusiasm. "There's really not much to share. We cuddled every night, but that's as far as it went. We never did anything sexual I guess."

Sonny moved onto his back again and looked up at the ceiling. "Cuddling can be fun."

Will thought about cuddling with Chad and let out a small smile. "It was fun at first, but then I realized how unhealthy it was because I always wanted more when we woke up. I didn't want to let him go." Will looked up to the ceiling as well. "I guess in a way my situation with Chad is the same situation between Gabi and me. She wanted me, but could never have me."

"I'm sorry man." Sonny began to think about his relationship with Dario and how Dario dismissed him earlier. Sonny wondered if he was in over his head with Dario as well. Maybe he needed to move on as well.

Will looked over at Sonny and could not help but smile at him. Will thought about kissing Sonny at the pier and realized how much he liked Sonny. He also thought about Sonny admitting to Chad that he wanted Will. Will sat up and began to take off his shirt. "Its kind of hot in here. I hope you don't mind." After taking off his shirt and throwing it on the ground, Will turned to Sonny and noticed Sonny checking him out. Will's heart began to beat faster. "You should take yours off, too. Aren't you hot?"

"Yeah," Sonny answered as his heart began to beat faster. Sonny sat up, and Will helped him slowly take off his shirt. Will threw Sonny's shirt next to his and moved closer to Sonny. After placing his hand on Sonny's waist, Will moved his face closer to Sonny's face. "What are you doing?" Sonny asked.

"I want you," Will answered. He immediately started kissing Sonny and pulled him closer to him. Will and Sonny fell over each other in the bed and began to explore the other's body. Each could feel the excitement with every grasp and breath. Will put his hand in Sonny's briefs and realized how much he wanted this. He never felt so good.

Sonny put his hand in Will's briefs and began to pull them off. He moaned a bit when Will began to kiss his neck. Sonny threw Will's briefs on the floor and raised his legs as Will took Sonny's briefs off. Sonny ran his hands through Will's hair as Will began to kiss his chest. "That feels so good!" Sonny exclaimed as he closed his eyes.

Sonny began to smile when his thoughts went to Dario. Sonny pictured Dario kissing on his chest. Sonny imagined running his hands through Dario's hair. Sonny opened his eyes and looked down to see Will kissing his stomach. Immediately feeling horrible for thinking of Dario, Sonny pushed Will off of him.

Will smiled at Sonny. "You want to be on top now?" Will tried to pull Sonny close again, but realized that something was wrong. "Did I do something wrong?"

Sonny felt ashamed for stopping Will like that. "Will, we can't do this. If we go through with this we'll only be settling because we are not in love with each other. I don't want to ruin what we have now."

Will thought about how close he and Sonny were. "I don't think we'd be settling. I think it was clear we both wanted this when I put my hand in your underwear and you put your hands in mine." Will watched Sonny as he remained silent about the fact that they both still had erections. "I thought we would start dating because of that kiss on the pier. If I moved too fast, I'm sorry. We can take things slower."

"Will, it's not that." Sonny dropped his head because he felt awful. "I'm sorry if I led you on. I did not mean to. I should have told you before that the kiss was just a kiss to help you move on from Chad. I really like you, Will, but I think we should just be friends. I'm sorry."

Will became really disappointed. "I can't believe this. I've pretty much put myself in the same situation I was in with Chad. Am I not good enough?"

Sonny pulled on his briefs and took Will's hand. "No. You're a great guy… but I don't want to hurt you further because I'm into someone else at the moment. It wouldn't be right if we did this." Sonny tried to make eye contact with Will, but Will would not look at him. "If you want, I can take the couch, so we don't do something we both regret in the morning."

Will pulled his hand away from Sonny and jumped out of the bed naked. "No, I'll just sleep out there. This is your room and your bed." Will pulled on his briefs and shirt. "I guess I'll see you in the morning."

Sonny watched Will walk out of the room upset. He felt really bad for hurting Will. He wish he could make Will feel better. Sonny began to question his decision to not have sex with Will. He wondered if he just passed up a great guy.


	45. Chapter 45 Planning

**Chapter 45: Planning – Thursday, July 21st, 2011**

At the Brady Pub, Abigail and Sami sat at a table looking over the seating arrangement for the reception. Sami wrote down a name and looked up at Abigail. "Thanks for helping me with this. Please don't tell EJ this, but I probably would have lost my mind if I did this by myself. I can't believe it's already Thursday!"

"It's no problem. I can't believe you're getting married a week from Saturday!" Abigail looked through the names they had left to put on the chart. She heard the door open and looked up to see Jennifer and Lucas walking in. "Hey mom. What are you two doing here?" Sami turned her head and watched as Lucas and Jennifer made their way over.

Jennifer waved at Sami and Abigail. "Lucas and I came over to grab a bite to eat. This is a nice surprise." Jennifer looked over the chart and remembered she had to tell Abigail something. "Oh, Abigail… Daniel and I are going out-of-town for the weekend. We are leaving on Saturday morning so you and Nathan will have the house to yourselves."

Abigail playfully raised her eyebrows at her mother. "Oh? Where are you two going?"

Jennifer smiled back nervously. "It's supposed to be a surprise. I am a little nervous, but I am sure I will have fun."

Lucas looked over at Sami and thought about Will. "Is there anyway I can have a moment with Sami alone?"

Jennifer and Abigail looked at each other. "We can finish talking about this later, Abigail." Jennifer turned back to Lucas. "I'll get us a table, Lucas."

After Jennifer walked off, Abigail stood up to leave. "I'll meet up with you later at the bridal shop."

Sami smiled at Abigail. "Sounds good. Could you also talk to Gabi again about being in the wedding?" Abigail nodded her head and left Sami alone with Lucas. Sami took a sip while Lucas took a seat. "So what did you want to talk to me about?"

Lucas rolled his eyes. "You know what this is about. You're stalling."

"I already told you that when Will is ready, he will talk to me. I hardly see him now because he moved out of the Dimera Mansion."

Lucas moved in closer to Sami, so that no one could overhear their conversation. "Will won't ever tell you because he's too afraid to talk about it. That's why you need to go to him."

Sami sighed and rested her chin on her hand as she thought about how she felt about talking to Will. "Honestly, part of me is afraid to talk to Will about it because after he tells me, it will all become official." Sami felt sadness come over her. She lamented to Lucas, "We may never have grandchildren through Will, and I know how much Will wants children because of his comments about Johnny, Allie, and Sydney."

Lucas gave Sami a strange look as he remembered Will making comments about how his brother and sisters were great birth control and how they were his children as he never wanted to have children of his own. Lucas decided not to touch the subject. "This does not have to be set in stone, Sami. He can get help to reverse it." Lucas noticed Sami seemed agitated by his suggestion and decided not to push it with her. "I should get to lunch, but talk to Will." Lucas got up and headed towards the table Jennifer picked out.

* * *

><p>Will arrived and found Chad and Stefano waiting in the living room at the Dimera Mansion. EJ had called them all there to get their tuxes fitted for the wedding. Will took a seat next to Chad on the couch. They had seen each other since he moved out but had never talked.<p>

EJ walked in with the tailor a moment after Will arrived. "Okay. Let's get this done! Father, you should get measured first."

Stefano, who was in an agitated mood all day, did not want to be measured. "I'll do it later. I don't feel like doing it now. I'm going back to my room." Stefano started to head out.

"Father… wait!" EJ snapped at the tailor to follow him. EJ stopped and pointed to Chad and Will. "You two… stay here." EJ and the tailor left the room.

Will and Chad looked at each other and laughed. They stopped when they realized that it was the first time they had laughed together in a while. Chad smiled at Will. "It's good that we can laugh together again. It was awkward there for a while when you moved out."

Will smiled and noticed that Chad seemed to feel better about him moving out. "Yeah. It does feel good." Will missed his time with Chad.

Chad wanted Will to know that he was fine. "It's definitely not the same without you in the bedroom, but I'm surviving." Chad thought about Abigail. "How are things at your new apartment?"

Will wanted to tell Chad that he thought he made a mistake by moving in with Sonny, but his pride would not let him. "They're good. The place is really nice. I still need to bring my bed over from the pub though. My great-grandma is being rather difficult at the moment."

Chad wondered where Will slept, but decided not to think too much about it. "Abigail and I are back together." Chad looked over towards the chessboard. "We're trying to work things out."

Will bit his lip. "That's good…" Will did not know how to respond.

Just then Chad got a text from Abigail. Chad read it and smiled. "Guess what man?"

Will wondered who texted Chad and moved closer to Chad leaving enough room for him to place his hand on the couch between their legs. "What?"

"Abigail just sent me a text telling me that her mother is headed out-of-town this weekend and wants to make plans." Chad moved closer and smiled at Will. "We are pretty much going to have the house to ourselves Saturday night." Chad winked at Will. "You know what that means."

"You and Abigail are going to have sex?" Will looked down and noticed his hand was under Chad's leg.

"It's about time, right?" Chad smiled as he texted Abigail back. He looked back at Will and gave him an excited look.

"You seem really excited." Will forced a smile as he slowly removed his hand from under Chad's leg. He tried to be happy for Chad and Abigail, but could not help but feel jealous.

* * *

><p>At Dario's apartment, Manny was on the phone talking to someone. "Yeah, I delivered the news to Gabi and Dario. … No one else knows that I am in Salem and things have quieted down since Rafe died. … No one suspects a thing." Manny turned around and realized Dario was standing outside of his room. "I will call you later. Love you… Bye." Manny hung up the phone and turned to Dario. "How long have you been there?"<p>

Dario only heard so much of the conversation and wondered who was on the other side. "Not long. Who were you talking to on the phone?"

"I was talking to Mama." Manny looked at his cell and put it back in his pocket. "She's trying to be strong."

"Oh… Is she still upset?" Dario thought about how his mother told him that she wanted to forget Rafe altogether.

"Yeah. I hate what she's going through." Manny took a seat on the couch and felt bad for Rafe. Manny noticed Dario heading towards the front door. "Where are you going?"

"Well, I thought I would go to work since I haven't been there since Saturday. Adrienne was nice enough to let me have these days off to spend time with Mama and our family." Dario opened the door and turned back to his brother. "I told Adrienne I'd be back in today. You are okay with that, right?"

Manny shook his head. "Yeah. You should work. Just make sure you stay away from that fag." Manny watched as Dario shook his head and left.

* * *

><p>As soon as the tailor took Will's measurements he left. Chad noticed that Will seemed to shut down on him again after talking about Abigail. He wanted to ask Will to hang out with him after the tailor took his measurements, but Will left without saying a word to him. After his fitting, Chad decided he needed to talk to someone about his issues with Will. He arrived outside of Lexie's office at the hospital, knocked on the door, and stuck his head inside. "Hey, sis."<p>

Lexie stood up from her desk and smiled. "Chad! Come in!" She walked over to him and gave him a hug. "Are you just saying hi or do you have time to talk?"

Chad smiled. "I have time to talk if you do."

"Of course. Have a seat." Lexie went around her desk and took a seat, while Chad took a seat across from her. "I'm glad you stopped by because father told me that he's noticed you have been depressed lately. How are you feeling?"

Chad scratched his head before answering. "Well, I was down for a while because I felt trapped and the only good thing I had in my life walked away. I guess I am doing better now, but sometimes it still sucks."

Lexie smiled as she believed she knew who this was about. "So Abigail broke up with you and you're trying to find a break from the family business?" She thought about Abe and Roman's conversation.

Chad shook his head, "No. I actually felt trapped by the family business and Abigail. Each pull me in different directions."

Lexie gave Chad a confused look. "But the good thing in your life is a person right? I mean, you said the one good thing walked away."

"Yeah, I guess, but I think it's more than just the person that I miss." Chad took a moment to think about the person that always seemed to center him. "My relationship with Will was the one thing that helped me, but now I'm not so sure if we're even friends anymore. I saw him today and it was kind of like old times, but there was something missing."

Lexie thought about Chad and Will's friendship. "You two must have a great friendship. It seems that you two have a deeper friendship than most friends."

Chad smiled at what Lexie had to say. "It's so weird how we became such good friends considering that we have known each other for a few years, and we liked the same girl when we first met. I'm definitely glad we got over that and connected so well." Chad remembered the first time Will asked him to the movies.

"I think it's neat that you two became such good friends. I think it's a testament that you two were able to connect that way." Lexie smiled at Chad, but noticed that he still seemed uncertain about things. "How are you coping with the break in your friendship with Will?"

Chad did not really know the answer to that, but he thought about what made him happy at the moment. "Abigail and I have decided to forget what happened with the witness thing and move forward with our relationship."

"Are you happy that you and Abigail are back together?" Lexie questioned.

Chad thought about it and looked up to his sister. "Yeah, why?"

Lexie crossed her hands on her desk. "I just want to make sure that you are truly happy and that you're not trying to substitute your relationship with Will with your relationship with Abigail." Lexie gave Chad a discerning look while Chad let her statement sink in. "Sometimes guys think if they have a girlfriend, it will solve everything."

* * *

><p>At the Cheatin' Heart, Sonny sat at a table alone and watched as Dario worked the bar. He had not seen Dario since he brought over the soup and crackers on Sunday. Sonny knew about Rafe dying and that Dario went out-of-town, but Dario never returned his phone calls or text messages. Sonny wondered if Dario really wanted to stop being friends.<p>

Sonny's thoughts were interrupted when Nathan walked over to Sonny's table. "Hey, Sonny. I was on my way out, but I thought I would stop by and say hello."

Sonny tried to smile back at Nathan. "Hey."

"Are you okay?" Nathan noticed something different about Sonny. "I noticed that I have not seen you at the hospital at all this week. Are you sick or something?"

Sonny hated that he did not have a job at the moment. "No, Victor took my internship away because I'm gay."

Nathan felt bad for Sonny. "I'm sorry man. If there's anything I can do for you about finding a new internship or job, let me know."

Sonny appreciated Nathan's want to help. "Thanks, Nathan. That means a lot. I will."

"Cool." Nathan noticed Melanie walk in and head to the bathroom. "I should go. "Maybe I'll see you around."

"Sounds good." Sonny watched as Nathan left and then turned his attention back to Dario. Sonny decided he needed to talk to Dario, so he got up and headed to the bar. "Hey Dario."

Dario gave Sonny a quick glance and thought about what Manny said to him about Sonny. "Hey."

"I'm sorry about your brother. How's the rest of your family doing?" Sonny tried to make eye contact with Dario, but Dario would not look at him.

"They're okay."

Sonny looked down at the bar and then back at Dario. "If you need anything, let me know."

"Thanks, but I'm fine." Dario turned his back to Sonny and began to mess with the bottles in the bar hoping Sonny would just leave him alone.

Sonny could not take it anymore. "Why are you acting this way? Why are you keeping me at bay like this? Why are you ignoring my calls?"

Dario did not bother turning to face Sonny. "I'm busy with work right now. I can't talk."

"Fine. I'll leave you alone like you asked." Sonny left deciding he could not stay there.

Having witnessed the whole scene between Dario and Sonny, Melanie took a seat at the bar. Dario heard Sonny leave and turned around surprised to see Melanie there. "Hey. Do you want something to drink?"

"I'll take water for now." Melanie watched Dario as he poured her a glass of water and handed it to her. Melanie played with the straw in her water and continued to watch Dario as he tried to keep busy with work. "I saw that whole scene with Sonny, and I have to admit that I'm kind of glad that I'm not the only one you're treating like this. I thought I did something wrong, but I can see that you're cutting everyone out."

Dario stopped working and took Melanie's hand in his. "I'm so sorry that I made you feel that way. I've just been really busy and there's been a lot on my mind. I promise you that I will make it up to you this weekend."

Melanie took a sip from her drink. "You better," she teased. She watched Dario as he went back to work. She wondered if everything would be okay between them.

* * *

><p>After leaving the Dimera Mansion, Will headed to his apartment, but could not keep his mind off of Chad. Will debated what he should do and wondered if he should just stay away from Chad. He sat at his and Sonny's apartment and decided it would be okay if he asked Chad to just hang out. "There's nothing wrong with hanging out with a friend. Chad and I can be just friends."<p>

Will made his way over to the Dimera Mansion and rang the doorbell telling himself that he needed to hang out with Chad to make things less awkward. Kate answered the door and let Will in. "Hey grandma… is Chad around?"

Kate smiled at how Will said Chad's name. "You missed him unfortunately. He went out a while ago. He said something about clearing his head. I think I'm actually the only person in the house as I needed to check up on the progress on the redecorated bedrooms." Kate could see the disappointment in her grandson's eyes. "How is the living situation with Sonny?"

Will had not really talked to Sonny much since the first night they moved in together. "Things are okay. The place is really nice."

Kate realized she needed to let Will know she knew his secret so that he would not give up on Chad. She put her arm around Will's shoulders. "Will, I hope this does not make you nervous, but I wanted you to know that I know how you feel about Chad. I know that you are gay."

Will looked at Kate unsure of how to respond. "You do?" Kate nodded her head. "What do you think about it?" Will wondered if Kate would chew him out like his father did.

"I think it's great!" Kate exclaimed as she smiled. She pulled Will into a hug. "I know that things seemed to get complicated with you and Chad sharing a bed... room and all, but I want you to know that I think you shouldn't give up on him because I believe Chad feels the same way about you. I don't think Chad knows it yet though."

Will placed his hand on the back of his neck. "How do you know?"

"I see the same thing between you and Chad that I saw when your mother and EJ first met: chemistry," Kate shared.

Will rolled his eyes at the thought. "The only chemistry that Chad and I share is a friendship chemistry. We'll never be more than friends."

"How do you know when you haven't even tried?" Kate asked knowing that Will shut Chad out before he could get too close. "As I mentioned before, Chad most likely does not know that he feels the same way about you. That's why you need to talk to him about it."

Will sighed as he thought about the possibility that his grandmother was right. "I'm not so sure about it." He thought about how Chad might not understand their connection because he has slept with girls in the past. Will did not want to get his hopes up though.


	46. Chapter 46 Let's Talk, Pt 1

**Chapter 46: Let's Talk, Pt. 1 – Saturday, July 23rd, 2011**

Early Saturday morning at the Kiriakis Mansion, Henderson showed Daniel in and announced his presence to Victor, who was looking over paperwork at his desk. Victor turned around surprised to see Daniel there. "Daniel," Victor said as he got up from the desk. "What are you doing here? I thought you and Jennifer were going away for the weekend."

Daniel did not smile at Victor. "Jen and I are still going, but we pushed back our departure time because we needed to take care of some things before we left."

Victor wondered what they had to do. "What would you need to take care of?" Daniel rolled his eyes and pointed to Victor. "Me? What about me?"

"Nathan told me about Sonny losing his internship." Daniel gave Victor a look to let him know that he knew why. "How could you do that to Sonny? How could you turn your back on family like that?"

Victor put up his hands. "Now Daniel, you know that all of my family is important to me. Sonny walked out and turned his back on the family, so I took away everything."

Daniel got in Victor's face. "You know good and well that the only reason Sonny moved out of this house is because you can't accept the fact that he is gay. You are so old-fashioned and stuck in your ways that you can't grow as a person to realize that Sonny is still the same kid that you love."

Victor shook his head at Daniel. "You don't understand the situation."

Daniel did not let up. "No, you don't understand! You need to wake up and realize that you're only hurting yourself because Sonny is a great kid. He will survive without the Kiriakis name and you will lose out on him being a part of your life."

Victor walked to the bar to pour himself a drink. "Dr. Jonas… always has the answer to solve all of your problems… isn't that right?"

Daniel shook his head at Victor. "I'm going to set up Sonny's internship with or without your help. I hope that you surprise me and restore Sonny's internship on your own." Daniel walked out.

Annoyed Victor poured himself a drink and took a seat on the couch contemplating Daniel's words. He wanted to do things his way, but the family was not making it easy for him. He wanted Sonny to come crawling back to him a changed man. As he took a drink, Victor wondered if that was no longer possible.

* * *

><p>EJ walked into the living room at the Dimera Mansion and found Sami and Chad whispering about something. They stopped when they spotted EJ walking in. "What on earth are you two talking about and why did you stop when I walked in?"<p>

Sami walked over to EJ and gave him a kiss. "Chad and I were just talking about the wedding. What do you have planned for the day?"

EJ looked at Chad and Sami and did not know if he bought Sami's excuse. "Well, I am going to see if your twin brother got his measurements done for the wedding. I have to go in for some final touches for my tux as well. Were you able to find a maid or matron of honor to stand up for you?"

"Yeah. Carrie called and confirmed she and Austin are coming for the wedding. My mom and John are coming as well. No word yet on Belle." Sami smiled at EJ. "Well, you should go do what you have to do."

EJ gave Sami a weird look as it seemed that she was trying to get rid of him. "Okay. Well, I will call you later." EJ kissed Sami on the head and left.

Sami walked over to Chad after making sure EJ left the house. "The coast is clear… so you wanted to talk to me about your duties as the best man?"

"Yeah." Chad felt a bit awkward talking to Sami about this, but he knew he needed to check in with her. "I wanted to ask you about EJ's bachelor party. What is okay and what is not – you know?"

Sami smiled at Chad and appreciated him checking in with her. "Well, my main rule is that EJ does not cheat on me – not that he would, but I'd rather you guys just go out and have a fun night of drunkenness – as long as he makes it back in time for the wedding of course."

"Cool. I can handle that. We'll go out next Friday night and I'll make sure he gets back home in time so he's rested for the wedding." Chad watched Sami. "Does that sound good?"

Sami nodded her head. "Yeah, that sounds great. My sister is planning a bachelorette party. We probably won't have as much fun as you guys." Sami's phone made a noise causing her to pull it out of her pocket. "Oh, I got a text from Will," she announced with excitement. She remembered seeing Will earlier when he picked up Johnny and Allie to take them to a movie. He seemed nervous.

Chad's interest peaked. "Is he okay?"

Sami read the text message. "He's fine. He asked me to meet with him tonight to talk about something." Sami smiled at Chad as she realized what Will wanted to talk to her about. She quickly responded to Will that she would meet him at his apartment later. "I'm so nervous and excited!"

Chad scratched his head and wondered why. "It sounds serious."

Sami did not want to delve into details. "Yeah. I should check on Sydney. I trust you to take care of EJ next Friday."

"Don't worry." Chad watched as Sami left the living room to head up stairs. He wondered what Sami and Will would need to talk about.

* * *

><p>Gabi walked into the Horton House after Abigail invited her in. Abigail gave her a hug, "How are you doing?"<p>

Gabi hugged Abigail back. "I'm better, but it still hurts knowing that I'll never see Rafe again."

The two girls made their way to the kitchen. "You want something to drink?"

"Sure. Just get me what you're having." Gabi took a seat at the table.

Abigail walked over with two glasses of apple juice. "How was your time with your mom and the rest of the family?"

Gabi watched as Abigail took a seat across from her. "It was a bit weird considering what happened. My mom decided not to have a funeral because of the shame Rafe brought to the family. She was very angry, but tried to hide it from us by holding it in. Rafe's body was cremated. My older brother, Manny took care of it, so now Rafe's ashes are in a small closet at my mom's house."

"That sounds rough. Did you want to have a funeral?" Abigail did not know how to comfort Gabi, but figured talking about it might help.

"I did because I wanted to remember the good times with Rafe, but I can understand why that's hard for my mother." Gabi drank some of her juice and decided that she wanted to change the subject. "So what's new with you? What have you been up to?"

Abigail smiled and blushed as she thought about Chad, but decided not to bring that up. "Well, I've been helping Sami with her wedding plans. She still wants you to be a part of it."

Gabi thought about Sami's history with Rafe. "I don't think that is a good idea. With Rafe's death, I think it might ruin what everyone else should be thinking about. Besides, I don't think Will would want me there."

Abigail leaned in closer to Gabi. "Will doesn't care. He understands that Sami talked to you about it before. Sami wants you to be a bridesmaid. You're going to be partnered up with her brother, Eric. She even ordered your dress to be in it."

"Well, if she already ordered the dress, I guess I can't say no." Gabi tried not to think too much about Sami and EJ's wedding. It only reminded her of the things Rafe did to keep them apart for unknown reasons. "I noticed you smiled before when I asked you what was new. I'm sure this wedding can't be the reason you were blushing earlier."

Abigail smiled and blushed again. "Well, Chad and I are meeting up later tonight for a late date. He's going to stay the night and we are going to make love for the first time."

Gabi smiled at Abigail. "I'm so happy for you. What about your mother and Nathan?"

"Well, my mom left today for a weekend trip with Daniel, and Nathan is working a double shift tonight to cover Daniel's absence." Abigail smiled. "It all worked out. It's meant to be!"

"I love when that happens. It seems that hardly happens anymore." Gabi thought about Abigail and Chad. "This is kind of random, but I saw Josh on Thursday. He was running in the park with T."

Abigail's smile went away as she thought about Josh. "I feel really bad because he's been calling me, but I haven't called him back. I'm afraid I am going to give him the wrong idea." Abigail thought it was interesting that T and Josh became friends after going to Dune awhile back. "So how are you and T? Have you talked anymore?"

Gabi shook her head. "Not really. Even if T had nothing to do with Kinsey's plan to embarrass me, I'm not ready to date anyone yet." Gabi noticed Abigail give her a look. "I'm not saying that I am still trying to get Will, but I just need time to heal before I jump into another relationship."

"I can understand that. What Kinsey did to you was awful and then with your brother dying... I'm sure that made things worse for you." Abigail tried to give Gabi a comforting look. "Things will get better."

Gabi smiled hoping Abigail was right. She finished her juice and placed the empty glass on the table. "I should probably head out, so you can get ready for your date with Chad."

"Okay." Abigail stood up with Gabi and gave her another hug. "Thanks for coming over. I'm glad we can talk like this again."

Gabi agreed as they made their way to the door. "I'll call you tomorrow for details. I hope the best for you tonight with Chad."

"Thanks. I'm hoping for the best as well." Abigail opened the door. "Bye."

* * *

><p>Nathan sat in his office at the hospital trying to prepare for the second half of his double shift. He took a sip of his coffee and looked over some files. He looked up when he heard a knock on his door. "Come in."<p>

Sonny walked in with a smile. "Hey Nathan. Do you have a minute?"

Nathan motioned to the chair across from him. "Sure. Take a seat. What's up?"

Sonny took a seat and shook Nathan's hand. "I wanted to thank you."

Nathan did not know why Sonny would thank him. "Not that I don't like appreciation, but what did I do?"

"I heard you talked to Daniel. I got a call earlier today telling me that my internship was reinstated." Sonny thought about how Nathan offered his help at the Cheatin' Heart on Thursday. "It means a lot that you did this for me, so I do appreciate it."

Nathan smiled at Sonny. "I was glad to help because I believe you will make a good doctor some day."

"Thanks. That means a lot to me." Sonny thought about how Nathan seemed to respect him now. "I'm glad that you can look pass the gay thing."

"You have really made me see things differently, so like I said… I am glad I could help." Nathan thought about Will. "How is Will doing? I feel a bit guilty for not keeping up with him."

Sonny shrugged his shoulders, "To tell you the truth, I am not so sure. We barely talk anymore even though we live together." Sonny thought about almost having sex with Will. He knew that was the reason he and Will were not talking at the moment.

"Sometimes that happens when you become roommates with a friend. Maybe you should talk to him about it." Nathan wondered if he could do something to help Will.

Sonny decided not to continue their conversation about Will. "Yeah. I'll let you get back to work. I'm supposed to meet up with my parents for dinner to celebrate." Sonny stood up and shook Nathan's hand again.

"Sounds like fun. I'll see you on Monday then." Nathan smiled as Sonny nodded.

* * *

><p>Dario picked up Melanie to take her out on a mystery date. He covered her eyes with a blindfold and led her to his car. Dario really wanted to make up for his being so disconnected with Melanie. When they arrived to their first destination, Dario looked over to Melanie. "We're here!"<p>

"Can I take off the blindfold now?"

"Yeah!" Dario helped Melanie take off the blindfold. "I hope you like it."

Melanie looked around and realized they were at a snow-cone stand. "Like it? I love it! I haven't had a snow-cone all summer and I love snow-cones!" Melanie turned to Dario and planted a big kiss on him.

They made their way out of the car and got in line to order. Dario was happy to see Melanie so happy. It had been a while since he had seen her really smile. "I'm probably going to get my regular… Tiger's Blood."

Melanie gave Dario a funny look and teased him about his choice. "I love the names of the flavors. I don't know if I should get a Fuzzy Navel or a Silver Fox."

"You could get both." Dario winked at her.

After they ordered, Dario and Melanie took a seat on the bench by the snow-cone stand. Melanie began to mess with her nails as they waited for their snow-cones. "I'm really enjoying tonight. I've missed having fun with you."

Dario took Melanie's hands in his. "Things have been really crazy since Rafe's death. Mama is not taking it well. She pretends her pain does not exist. I'm sorry that I have not been here with you."

Melanie kissed Dario's hands. "You don't have to apologize for that. I want to be here for you, Dario. I just want you to let me know what you're thinking." Melanie felt bad because she had been distracted with other things and let Dario slip away.

"I don't know what I think most of the time because Rafe's death hit me like a ton of bricks. Ever since then, my brain has been fried and I haven't been a good boyfriend to you." Dario kissed Melanie's hand.

"Well, you're definitely making up for that tonight!" Melanie wanted Dario to not feel so guilty even though she knew Dario changed before Rafe's death. She gave him a smile as she wondered what he was not telling her.

* * *

><p>After dropping off Johnny at the Dimera Mansion, Will brought Allie back to the Salem Inn to drop her off with Lucas. Lucas let them in and gave Allie a hug. Will smiled, but kept his attention on Allie because he did not want to look in his father's eyes. "Johnny and Allie really enjoyed the movie."<p>

Lucas let Allie go play with her things. "That's good." Lucas noticed that Will would not look at him. "Is something wrong?" Will quickly glanced at his father, but looked back at his sister. "We can go out in the hall if you want."

Will and Lucas made their way out to the hall. Lucas closed the door partially, so that he could keep an eye on Allie. Will still avoided making eye contact with Lucas. "Nothing's wrong." Will did not want to talk to his father about it.

Lucas squeezed Will's shoulder and smiled. "Will, I can tell when something's bothering you. You won't even look at me." Lucas kept squeezing Will's shoulder until he would look at him. "What are you so afraid to tell me?"

Will tried to look away from Lucas again, but Lucas would not let him. "You hate me because I am gay," Will admitted.

"I don't hate you," Lucas gave Will a questioning and painful look. "You don't really think that do you?" Lucas watched Will as he did not respond. "Will, I don't hate you, but I do hate that you think you're gay. You can fight it… trust me."

Will pushed Lucas's hand from his shoulder. "My first instinct was right. I don't want to talk to you about this. Have fun with Allie. Maybe she can make you happy!" Will walked away and left Lucas standing there.


	47. Chapter 47 Let's Talk, Pt 2

**Chapter 47: Let's Talk, Pt. 2 – Saturday, July 23rd, 2011**

Speaking on the phone with someone, Manny sat on the couch believing he had the apartment to himself. Caught up in the conversation, Manny did not realize that Gabi had walked out from her room. "Our plans are a go tonight. She won't see it coming."

Gabi made her way over to Manny and gave him a questioning look. "Who is she?"

"I'll call you later." Manny hung up and gave Gabi a nervous look. "It's a secret. I can't tell you."

Gabi gave Manny a suspicious look. She still had a lot of questions about what happened to him in jail and when he got out. "Tell me, Manny. What are you hiding?"

Manny knew he had to cover because Gabi would keep asking until he gave her what she wanted. "I was planning a surprise for you. I felt bad about being gone for so long and when Dario told me what's been going on with you, I decided that I should give you something that you like."

Gabi felt bad for ruining the surprise. "Oh, I'm sorry I ruined the surprise."

Manny stood up and gave Gabi a hug. "You're my baby sister and what happened to you was not fair. I'm bringing you something home late tonight. I hope you like it."

Still hugging her brother, she looked up at him. "I'm so glad that you're here with Dario and me. I have really missed you."

"I have missed you as well." Manny smiled at his sister, but wondered if he would be able to bring back her favorite dessert.

* * *

><p>Back in his room, Chad looked through his closet to decide what he would wear on his date with Abigail tonight. As he went through his shirts, he found a shirt that belonged to Will. "He must have left this here by accident." Chad took the shirt from the hanger and held it against his body. He jumped and threw the shirt on his bed, when the door opened. Surprised to see EJ and Stefano in his room, he scratched his head. "What are you guys doing in here? You usually avoid my room at all costs."<p>

Forgetting the reason he came in, Stefano decided to address Chad's statement. "Well, it's that music that you play so loudly. That's why we usually stay away from here," Stefano smiled and continued, "…but EJ and I did not come in here to discuss your poor taste in music."

EJ gave Stefano a look and nudged him. "Just give it to him."

Chad looked at both EJ and Stefano. "Give what? Am I in trouble again?"

"No, no, no…" Stefano pulled out a set of keys and handed them to Chad. "I got you a Bugatti Veyron. EJ helped me pick it out. It's in the garage."

Chad quickly got excited. "Wait… what? Why did you get me a new car? That car is worth more than two million dollars."

Stefano gave Chad a pat on the back. "You did good. You got Abigail to recount her statement. I am proud of you."

"Does this usually happen?" Chad did not know what to think about getting a gift every time he did something to make Stefano proud. "Thanks for the car." Chad turned to EJ. "So did you just come in here because you picked out the car?"

"Well, father and I wanted to talk to you about business." EJ walked over to Chad and put his arm around him. "Since Samantha and I are going on our honeymoon right after the wedding next weekend, we will be out-of-town for a week. Things will be different. You will be second in command and will have a lot more responsibility." EJ gave Chad a serious look, "Are you up for the challenge?"

Chad put his arm around EJ. "I'm up for the challenge." Chad looked at Stefano and tried not to stress about the added pressure. "I'll make you proud."

EJ patted Chad on the back. "Don't get too attached to the position. I'll only be gone for a week!" EJ smiled to let Chad know he was only messing with him. "I am sure you will be fine."

* * *

><p>At the Penthouse Grille, Dario and Melanie were enjoying dinner. Melanie took a bite and smiled at Dario. She put her fork down and grabbed his hand. "You are really spoiling me tonight."<p>

Dario turned his hand around so he could hold hers. "I'm trying to make things up to you. I want things to be different. I want us to be open with each other about everything."

Melanie thought about how she felt Dario changed before his brother died. She also thought about her feelings for Nathan. "Do you really want us to be open about everything?"

Dario became concerned and tried to read Melanie. "Of course. Is there something you want to talk to me about?"

"Yeah," Melanie admitted as she lowered her head to look at the table. She tilted her head to the side as she continued, "You say that you have been busy and distracted since your brother died, but I noticed a change in you before that."

Dario noticed Melanie seemed afraid to look at him. "What do you mean? When did you notice this change?"

"I noticed the change when we first started dating. It was like you enjoyed the challenge when we weren't dating, but when we started dating you had conquered me or something." Melanie looked into Dario's eyes. "Are you ready to move on from me? Are you bored with me?"

Dario felt bad that he made Melanie feel this way. He looked up and away from her and spotted Sonny sitting with his parents at another table. He looked back at Melanie and squeezed her hand. "Of course not. I want to be with you. You're so much fun to be around and you make me smile. I am so sorry that I made you feel that way."

While Dario continued to try to make Melanie feel better about their relationship, Justin made a toast to Sonny getting his internship at a another table. "I talked to Daniel earlier and he told me that he did not reinstate your internship. It appears that Victor was the one who made the call." Justin looked at Sonny. "I think your great-uncle is coming around."

Adrienne smiled at Justin and Sonny. "It just takes time." She raised her glass. "To new beginnings!"

Justin raised his glass. "To new beginnings!"

"To new beginnings." Sonny forced a smile and took a drink. He thought about how he still did not know what happened that night he went out with Kinsey. Even if Victor made the call he still did not trust him. He looked over and saw Melanie and Dario laughing and having a good time. He wondered if this new beginning would be without Dario.

Justin and Adrienne noticed that Sonny's thoughts were somewhere else. They looked back and realized that Sonny was watching Dario and Melanie. Adrienne lightly tapped the table next to Sonny's hand. "Sonny, are you okay?"

Sonny glanced at his parents to answer. "I'm fine." He looked back at Dario and Melanie and noticed that Dario excused himself to go to the bathroom. "Excuse me. I need to use the restroom." Sonny got up and followed Dario to the bathroom. Adrienne and Justin wondered if something happened between Dario and Sonny again.

Dario made his way into the men's bathroom first and found a urinal. He spotted Sonny as he took the urinal next to him. Neither of them said anything to each other as Dario pretended not to see him. Dario flushed and headed to the sink, but kept his eyes on Sonny as he moved over to the sinks as well. He realized that Sonny did not need to use the bathroom at all. "What are you doing? Did you follow me in here?"

Sonny did not wash his hands, but made eye contact with Dario through the mirror. "I want to talk to you. I want to know why we can't be friends anymore. What changed?" Sonny could no longer keep his feelings to himself.

Dario broke the eye contact and dried his hands. He did not want to tell Sonny he felt ashamed of their relationship. "I can't talk to you about this now."

Dario tried to leave, but Sonny stood in his way. "Fine. You don't have to talk. Let me say something and then I'll leave you alone if that's what you really want." Sonny looked Dario in the eyes giving him a painful but joyful look. "Dario, I love you. I did not mean for this to happen, but it's true. I love you."

Dario quickly looked away after Sonny made his declaration remaining silent. Sonny took the hint and walked out of the bathroom feeling worse than before. Filled with shame, Dario became angry and hit the wall. "This can't happen."

* * *

><p>Will sat in his apartment on the couch and looked at his cell phone. He tried to shake off the nerves. He feared that his mother would respond the same way his father did. Lucas did not want Will to be who he knew he was. Will hoped Sami would accept him the way Adrienne and Justin accepted Sonny.<p>

Will became anxious when he heard a knock on the door. He walked over to the door to let Sami inside. Sami lightly smiled when she saw Will's face. "Will." She tried to hide her nerves as best she could.

"Thanks for coming mom." Will closed the door and headed to the couch, so they could take a seat. Will's heart began to beat faster and harder as he thought about telling his mother his secret. "There's something I need to tell you."

Sami sensed Will's nervousness. She watched as he tapped his leg faster and faster and noticed his pale face. She knew she had to calm and reassure him. "Will, I hope you know that I love you no matter what. There's nothing you can say or do that would make me love you less."

Will appreciated his mother's words, but he still felt anxious. After taking a deep breath, he started, "Do you remember when I got back from that camping trip and you and dad asked me to sit down so we could talk?" Sami nodded her head. "Do you remember how when you mentioned Sonny was doing drugs and I thought you were talking about something else?"

"Yes, Will… I do." Sami thought back and wished she could take back believing that Sonny did drugs. "Your father and I both know that Sonny is not into drugs and we know that you never were either."

"Yeah, well… there's a reason I was so defensive that day. I was keeping a secret from you and dad," Will admitted. Will looked down in shame as he continued. He did not want to see his mother's face when he made his announcement. "Mom… I'm gay." Will looked up at Sami after he said it and noticed tears coming out of Sami's eyes. He began to worry. "Are you upset?"

Sami wiped her face and shook her head. "No, Will. These are happy tears." She smiled and took his hands. "I'm happy because you are so brave and that you are letting me in." Sami wiped her face again and moved closer to Will. "I know that I did not make it easy for you growing up and I sensed there were times you had these walls up to protect yourself from me. I'm sorry that I made you do that. I should have been a better mother."

"Mom… It's not your fault that I'm gay."

"No, I am not saying that at all." Sami smiled at Will. "I'm just saying that I am so happy that you're allowing me to know the real you and you're allowing me to love the real you. That's all I've ever wanted. I love you Will no matter what. You being gay does not change that."

Will felt a joy fill his spirit. He could not help but smile. "Do you remember when you came to me at the pub and opened up to me about your love for EJ?" Sami nodded her head. "When you opened up to me about that it helped me see that I was not experiencing life like I was supposed to."

Sami let out a small giggle. "I thought you weren't listening."

"I was listening. The way you described your love for EJ made me realize that I wanted the same." Will smiled as he thought about Chad. His eyes began to water. "I think I found that love with someone because even though everything and everyone tells me that it's not normal, I know in my heart that it's right."

Sami wiped her face again. "Is it Chad?"

Will smiled as tears fell down his face. "Yeah. I love him. I just don't know if he feels the same way."

Sami wiped the tears from Will's face. "I know Chad loves you, too. I can tell by the way that he looks at you. I can tell by the way that he talks about you. He does love you!" Sami wanted the best for Will and believed Chad could offer that to him.

Will appreciated hearing his mother's perspective and remembered what Kate told him. Will could not help but focus on the experiences that told him otherwise though. "I'm afraid to tell Chad how I feel because I haven't even told him I'm gay. I don't want to ruin my friendship with Chad by telling him."

Sami squeezed both of Will's hands and looked deep into his eyes. "If you keep hiding from him, you'll never have a friendship with Chad. I won't push you into anything, but I think you should tell Chad."

Will stood up and helped Sami stand up with him, so that he could hug her. "I love you so much, mom. Thank you so much for accepting me and helping me."

Holding onto Will, Sami kissed Will on the cheek. "I love you, too."

After separating, Will looked at the time. "I hate to cut this short, but there's someone I need to talk to."

Sami smiled and wiped Will's face off again. "I understand. I have to meet EJ for dinner anyway." Sami gave Will another hug and kiss. "Good luck. I'll say a prayer."

Will smiled. "Thanks mom."

* * *

><p>At the Dimera Mansion, Chad made his way down the stairs dressed up to head to Abigail's house for their late date. He pulled out his keys as he made his way to the bottom. He could not wait to take his new car out for a spin. He stepped back when the door suddenly opened.<p>

Kate walked in with despair in her eyes. "Oh, Chad! You're still here! Thank God!"

Chad stepped back again. "What's going on?"

Having heard about Chad's late night date with Abigail, Kate knew she had to make sure Chad never arrived for his date or at the very least make him very late. "I need your help with my car. It won't start!"

Chad looked around. "Not that I don't want to help, but I am in a hurry. Can't Marco or Harold help you out?"

"Your father gave everyone the night off and I'm supposed to deliver something for him tonight. You know how Stefano gets when something goes wrong. I don't want to mess anything up." Kate gave a desperate look hiding the fact that she lied.

Chad scratched his head. "I don't know."

"I promise you it won't take long!" Kate took his hand to lead him out to her car.

"Okay. Fine." Chad rolled his eyes as he followed her. Kate hoped she would be able to keep him occupied long enough.

* * *

><p>Back at the Horton House, Abigail continued to set the mood for her night with Chad. She put out a few candles that they could light up later when things got more intimate. She turned on some smooth jazz music and then brought out champagne with champagne glasses. She looked the room over to make sure everything was in order. She got really excited when she heard the doorbell ring. "Coming!" She made her way to the door and stood back in shock when she saw Will on the other side. "Will, what are you doing here?"<p>

"Sorry I didn't call before, but we need to talk." Will looked around. "Can I come in?"

Abigail wanted to get rid of Will so that Chad did not arrive and see Will. "I can't right now because I am expecting someone else."

Will checked the time on his phone. "I know that you have a date with Chad, but I would not have come here if it wasn't important. I really need to talk to you."

Abigail could tell Will was serious. "Okay… fine. Come in." After closing the door, she led Will to the couch. "What's so important? Is it about your mother's wedding next week?"

"No, it's not about that." Will took a deep breath. "I'm gay, Abigail. I don't know if you knew that, but I am. I wanted to talk you about something I plan to do, but I want your feedback before I act."

Abigail gave Will a confused look. "You're being vague." She wondered if it had to do with Sonny. "Go ahead."

"I want to tell Chad that I'm gay and then tell him that I'm in love with him," Will confessed. "I won't do it if you don't want me to."

Abigail looked away from Will as she let Will's confession sink in. "I don't know what to say, Will. Chad is my boyfriend." She looked back at Will still unsure of what to say.

Will looked down. "I know it's messed up that I am in love with your boyfriend, but I thought you should know about it. That's why I came to you first."

Abigail turned from Will and leaned her head against the back of the couch. "It's not really fair because I am in love with Chad as well."

Will leaned his head on the back of the couch, but turned his head towards Abigail. "I'm not even sure Chad feels the same way about me, but I need to get this off my chest, so that I can move on." Will tried to think how life would be if Chad did not love him back. He knew it would hurt, but if Chad did not feel the same, it was better for him to start getting over him.

"You're asking a lot from me." Abigail turned her head as she continued, "…but I can tell that you really do care because you came to me first. I do appreciate you coming to me first about this." Abigail turned her head forward again as she contemplated the different outcomes if she allowed Will to tell Chad. There was a chance that she could lose Chad, but she believed it was only a small chance as Chad had proven himself to be straight.

Before Abigail could answer, the power went out. Will and Abigail immediately stood up from the couch and looked at each other in the darkness. "Abigail, does that normally happen?"

Abigail headed for the candles to light one. "No. It's not even storming. Why did everything go out?"

Suddenly they heard a crashing noise upstairs. "Abigail." Will reached and grabbed her hand. "Is Nathan or your mom here?"

Abigail shook her head and felt scared. "No… my mom's out of town and Nathan's at work. We're the only ones in the house."

"I don't think we are anymore." Will and Abigail jumped when they heard breaking glass.


	48. Chapter 48 Shelter

**Chapter 48: Shelter – Saturday, July 23rd, 2011**

Outside of the Horton House, Abigail and Will waited outside as the police checked the inside of the house. Roman walked out of the house and headed towards Will and Abigail. "It looks like the house is clear, but we found a broken window and vase in one of the rooms upstairs."

"I saw someone… built like a guy… for a second when I ran upstairs to see what was going on." Will looked back at the house. "I didn't really notice any other features though as it was dark."

"Well, I am glad that whoever broke in ran off and did not hurt you. It seems that whoever broke into the house thought it was empty and got scared when they realized you two were there." Roman looked Abigail and Will over. "You two didn't get hurt in any way, right?" Abigail and Will looked at each other and claimed they were fine. Roman turned to Abigail. "I'll have a few officers check for clues, but I doubt we'll find who did this. Do you have a place to stay tonight?"

Will put his hand on Abigail's shoulder. "You can stay with Sonny and me at our place."

"That's a good idea." Roman turned to his grandson. "Would you two please be careful on your way over?"

"Yeah, don't worry, grandpa." Will looked at Abigail. "Ready to go?"

Abigail nodded her head. "I should probably call Nathan and let him know that he needs to find a place to sleep tonight." Abigail and Will walked over to Will's car after saying goodnight to Roman.

* * *

><p>Back at the Dimera Mansion, Chad continued to help Kate with her car. Frustrated that this was taking longer than expected, Chad stopped working on the car and stood up to talk to Kate. "When did you drive this car last? I've had to reconnect a few things, but the car still won't start. I should check the battery… that has to be it."<p>

"I drove it today. I told you earlier that I just had a new battery put in about a month ago, so it can't be the battery. Maybe you could try starting it again." Kate watched as Chad got in the car to try to start the car again. She smiled inside glad that her plan was working. She planned on keeping Chad busy all night if necessary. Kate thought back to switching out the battery with a dead one earlier. "Poor Abigail is going to be so lonely tonight," she thought to herself.

Chad wiped the sweat off his forehead and got out of the car after it did not start. "Kate, I've tried everything. The car won't start. We'll have to ask the mechanic to look at it tomorrow morning."

Kate stopped Chad from walking away. "Chad, maybe you can take one more look at the engine. Test the battery if you have to."

Before Chad could respond, he got a text from Will. After reading the text, Chad looked at Kate. "Oh my gosh. Abigail's house was broken into. She's over at Will and Sonny's apartment. I have to go." Chad pulled out his keys and handed one to Kate. "You can take my new car to run your errand. I'll take my old car." Chad shook his head at the fact he could have let Kate borrow one of his cars to begin with instead of wasting time. "I'll see you later."

Kate blew her hair out of her face annoyed that Chad left her there. "Oh well, at least I know Chad and Abigail won't be alone tonight."

* * *

><p>Melanie and Dario arrived to her apartment after their fun filled night on the town. Melanie and Dario plopped on the couch to relax. Melanie leaned her head on Dario and looked at him. She noticed he had gotten quiet at the restaurant earlier. "My dad's out of town for the night. Do you want to stay the night?"<p>

Dario smiled at Melanie. "Yeah. Sure."

Melanie stood up. "I'll go freshen up then." Melanie disappeared into her room.

Dario's thoughts went back to what Sonny said to him in the bathroom. Since he walked out of that bathroom, Dario could not stop replaying Sonny's words in his head. Dario did not understand how Sonny could say that to him. Dario wondered how Sonny could love him the same way a man falls in love with a woman. He saw it in Sonny's eyes but did not understand it.

Melanie walked out and took a seat next to Dario. "So it's my turn to surprise you tonight! Close your eyes." Melanie began to unzip her dress.

Dario stopped her by taking her hand. "Wait. I need to know something."

"What do you need to know?" Melanie asked wondering if Dario still wanted to stay the night.

Dario looked into her eyes. "Do you love me?"

Melanie gave Dario a strange look. "Where is this coming from?"

Dario thought about Sonny, but did not tell Melanie that. "You and Nathan were once in love. I'm just wondering where we stand in regards to that."

Melanie began to think about Nathan and their relationship. "That's such an odd question." Melanie took her hands from Dario not knowing how to respond to that. "I can't compare our relationship to my relationship with Nathan.

"So I guess you don't love me." Dario figured she did not because she could not answer his question. He did not understand how Sonny loved him more than his girlfriend.

Melanie took Dario's hand again. "I care about you deeply."

Dario got up from the couch and paced around to think about Melanie's answer. Stopping, he looked back at Melanie. "It's not the same."

Melanie looked up at Dario and noticed frustration in his voice. "Are you breaking up with me?"

"No," Dario shook his head. "I'm just really confused right now. I keep thinking about what we talked about earlier – how you thought I became a different person when we started dating." He wondered if Sonny changed him, but he pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind. He thought about Melanie. "I think I am realizing that you changed as well."

Melanie got nervous. "How?"

"You weren't alive like you normally are. You seem sedated and calm… like you're not giving it your all." Dario wondered if maybe they got together for the wrong reasons. He wondered if Melanie felt bad for him and chose him out of guilt. "I think we should think about what we want and come back together in a week or so to decide what to do about our relationship." Dario looked at Melanie and wondered what she thought. "Is that a bad idea? Am I wrong?" Dario really wanted to be wrong.

Melanie's eyes began to water, but she stopped herself from crying. She knew Dario was right. "You're not wrong. I think we do need some self-reflection so that we know what this is."

Dario gave Melanie a kiss on the cheek. "I'm so sorry I ruined our date. I'm a terrible boyfriend." Melanie looked away not sure how to respond. "I'll leave you alone."

After Dario left, Melanie wondered if Dario had picked up on her connection to Nathan. She wondered where all of this came from as they had a good time on their date. She wondered if Dario was only pretending with her tonight. She put her finger in her mouth as she wondered if Dario had met someone else.

* * *

><p>At Sonny and Will's apartment, Abigail walked back into the living room after talking to Nathan on the phone. She found Will and Sonny sitting on the floor with their backs against the couch. "Nathan finally called back. He said he's probably going to stay the night in his office." Abigail took a seat on the couch and pulled her feet up on the couch.<p>

Sonny looked up at Abigail and then Will. "I'm glad that you two are okay. That's crazy that someone would break in."

Will looked down at his hands as he remembered seeing someone in the house. "I wonder why the person broke in. Whoever broke in was in and out pretty fast."

Abigail shivered as she thought about what could have happened to them. "I don't know. Maybe it was random. Maybe they thought the house was empty like Roman said." Abigail jumped when they heard a knock on the door.

Will got up to answer the door. "I'll get it." He opened the door and looked into Chad's eyes. "Chad." Will noticed that Chad was wearing his shirt.

Chad immediately gave Will a hug. "I'm glad you're okay." He saw Abigail looking at him with fear in her eyes. He let go of Will and made his way to Abigail to give her hug. "I'm so sorry that I was not there. Something came up at the mansion."

"Well, the good news is that Will and I are okay." Abigail pulled away from Chad a bit. "You smell like a car engine."

Chad got up to give Abigail some space. "I would have changed, but I came here as soon as possible." He sniffed the shirt and realized Abigail was right. "Sorry."

Sonny stood up and put his hand on Chad's back. "I'm sure I have a shirt and pair of gym shorts you can borrow. Follow me back to the room."

"Thanks Sonny." Chad was a bit surprised by Sonny's friendliness. Chad and Sonny walked out of the living room so that Chad could change clothes.

After Chad and Sonny were gone, Abigail pulled Will on the couch. "We never got the chance to finish our conversation." Abigail looked at Will wondering if she was making the right decision. "I'll let you tell Chad how you feel, but I do have one request."

Will could not believe Abigail gave him permission to tell Chad. "What is it?"

"Please don't tell him tonight. I need him to focus on me tonight." Abigail hoped Will would agree. She also hoped he would change his mind about telling Chad altogether. "Actually, could you wait until after the wedding. I don't want things to be awkward during your mother's wedding." Abigail figured she could buy herself more time.

Will smiled believing Abigail had a point. "Okay. I won't tell him until after the wedding. Thanks for letting me do this." Chad and Sonny walked back into the living room. Chad had on a tight blue sleeveless shirt and yellow gym shorts. Will got off the couch. "You can sit with Abigail."

Chad took a seat and put his arm around Abigail. "I think there's room for at least one more." He looked up at Will to take a seat.

Will looked at Abigail and decided against it. "I'll just sit on the floor with Sonny. Will took a seat close to Sonny on the floor. This was the closest he'd been with Sonny since they almost had sex.

Abigail leaned in closer to Chad. "You smell so much nicer." She looked up at Chad. "It was crazy tonight. Someone cut the power and broke in. I'm glad Will was there."

Chad looked at Will as he kissed the top of Abigail's head. "I'm glad you two are okay. Why were you there anyway, Will?"

Abigail sat up and spoke up. "I called Will and asked him to help me with something. He makes this really good dip that I wanted to have for our date." She looked at Will to go along with her lie.

"Yeah. I was about to leave when the power went out." Will did not like lying to Chad but knew he could not tell Chad the truth because he promised Abigail he would not tell Chad for a week.

Sonny sensed the awkwardness and decided to change the subject. "So I'm starting my internship on Monday again thanks to Nathan and Daniel." Thinking about his internship reminded him of what happened with Dario at the Penthouse Grille. He tried to shake off the thought.

"That's great, Sonny." Abigail smiled and then remembered she needed to make one more phone call. "I can't believe I forgot to call my mom." She looked at the time and saw that it was late. "I don't want to interrupt her night with Daniel, so I will just call her in the morning."

Sonny noticed Abigail yawn. "You can take my bed if you want."

"Thanks. I'm tired." Abigail turned to Chad. "Will you hold me?"

"Yeah, if it's okay with Sonny." Chad turned to Sonny.

"We're just cuddling… Sonny doesn't mind." Abigail turned to Sonny and gave him a look so that he would agree that it was fine.

"Nah. Go ahead." Sonny felt bad for Will to have to witness this.

Chad helped Abigail up from the couch. As they headed out, Chad noticed Will watching him. He noticed Will looked sad and thought about Lexie's advice to him as he walked into Sonny's bedroom with Abigail. Chad and Abigail got in Sonny's bed and cuddled.

* * *

><p>Manny stood on the pier as an un-American male voice yelled at him over the phone. "What do you mean she was not there? I told you to check her schedule to make sure she would be there!"<p>

"Sorry, but I guess her trip was last-minute. I don't even know where Jennifer went, but she is out-of-town. Her daughter and nephew were at the house though." Manny remembered hearing their voices and seeing Will for a split second.

"Did they see you at all?" the voice asked.

"No, don't worry. I had a mask on. They could never I.D. me." Manny looked at his watch and realized he would not be able to get his sister's favorite dessert. "I will try again when she gets back tomorrow night."

The person on the other side did not think that was a good idea. "No. Don't try again. Our plans have changed. Jennifer will be left alone for now. We'll have to play things differently, but you still owe me."

"Don't worry. I won't forget how you helped me. I will call you later for my next move." Manny hung the phone up and put it in his pocket. He wondered how he would cover his secret when Gabi asked for her surprise. He knew that she and Dario could not handle the truth about why he really was in Salem.

* * *

><p>Back at Sonny and Will's apartment, Sonny and Will sat on the couch in silence as both started to get tired. Sonny could not stop thinking about Dario. He wanted to sleep so he would not have to think about him. After yawning and stretching, Sonny turned to Will. "It's too bad you still haven't been able to get your bed in your room."<p>

Will turned to Sonny and yawned as well. "I think I might just buy a new bed. It would be nice to have my own king size bed." Will looked at the couch and realized that one of them would have to sleep on the floor. "You can have the couch. I can sleep on the floor in my sleeping bag."

Realizing that this was the first private conversation between him and Will in a while, Sonny moved closer to Will. He thought about how he kicked Will out of bed and how he wished he could take back that decision. "The floor doesn't look that comfortable. We could just share and cuddle on the couch together."

Will looked into Sonny's eyes and could tell he was serious. "I don't know…" Will thought about what happened Sunday night.

Sonny put his arm around Will and felt bad. "I know that things have been awkward since the first night we moved in. I miss talking to you."

Will smiled while looking down. "I miss talking to you, too. I just don't…"

"Will," Sonny said interrupting Will. "I made a mistake when I stopped you that night. You're an amazing guy that anyone would be lucky to have and I pretty much kicked you out of bed. I feel like such an idiot."

Will looked into Sonny's eyes. "You're not an idiot…" Will realized that Sonny was moving in for a kiss and moved closer so that their lips could meet.

As they were kissing, Chad walked in after Abigail fell asleep. He hoped that the guys would want to stay up a bit since he was not tired. When he saw Will and Sonny kissing, a sick feeling came over him. It felt like the wind had been knocked out of him. Not wanting to face the new discovery, Chad headed back to the bedroom unnoticed to decipher the sick feeling he had just experienced.

Will broke from the kiss with Sonny. He wiped his mouth with his fingers realizing that the kiss was another mistake. "Sonny, you were right to stop things the other night. If we tried anything tonight, we would be each other's rebound. I'm not ready to give up on Chad."

Sonny sighed. He knew Will was right. He took Will's hand in his. "You're right. As sexy as you are, I don't want to ruin our friendship just to get over the heartache." Sonny began to tear up as Dario's rejection hit him.

Will pulled Sonny into a hug. "We can help each other if need be but as friends only." Will and Sonny held onto each other as they tried to focus on their friendship. "I'll let you have the couch. I'll sleep on the floor with my sleeping bag. Maybe some sleep will help."

Sonny let go of Will and shook his head. "Sleep sounds nice."


	49. Chapter 49 Bachelor'ette' Party

**Chapter 49: Bachelor(ette) Party – Friday, July 29th, 2011**

Gabi, Dario, and Manny were hanging out at the apartment watching TV when they heard a knock on the door. Gabi turned to Manny as Dario got up to answer the door. "Don't you need to hide?"

Manny sat back and did not move. "Not anymore. I'll explain later."

Dario opened the door to find Abigail and Melanie on the other side. Dario and Melanie tried not to look at each other as they had not talked in almost a week. "Come in."

Abigail and Melanie walked in and spotted Gabi sitting on the couch. "Gabi, are you even dressed for Sami's bachelorette party?" Melanie asked looking her over.

Gabi stood up and slowly made her way to the other girls. "I'm not sure if I should go. It might be a bit awkward."

Abigail looked Gabi over as well. "You're in Sami's wedding. What you have on is fine for tonight. You should come."

"I think you should go, too. It might be fun." Dario still stood by the door, so that they could leave.

Manny sensed that Gabi still did not know if she should go, so he stood up from the couch. "Gabi, you should go have fun with your friends." He thought Gabi could use some time with friends, but he also had personal reasons for her going to the bachelorette party.

Gabi thought it was weird that Manny would want her to go. She noticed that Abigail and Melanie looked over at Manny curiously and realized they had no idea who he was. "This is my older brother Manny by the way. I guess we can go now."

"Yeah… okay. Let's go." Melanie wondered how long Manny had been in town. She turned to Dario. "Are you going to EJ's bachelor party?"

Dario avoided making eye contact with Melanie. "I don't think so."

After the girls left and Dario closed the door, Manny walked over to Dario. "Your girlfriend is hotter in person!" Manny patted Dario on the back. "You better not let her go."

Dario rolled his eyes and thought about how he and Melanie were on a break. He then remembered that Manny was no longer hiding the fact he was in town. "So what changed? Why can people know you're in town now? Did you realize that Rafe really killed himself?"

Manny did not really want to talk about Rafe. "I'm still looking into it because the cops know nothing. I guess I'm just tired of hiding. I've been secluded from society long enough. I want to get out and meet people." Manny wondered why Dario was skipping out on the bachelor party. "Are you not going to that bachelor party because you want to avoid your fag friend?"

Dario glared at his brother. "I don't want to talk about it." Dario headed to his room and closed the door.

* * *

><p>Will and his Uncle Eric arrived at the Dimera Mansion. Chad opened the door and greeted them. "Hey, you must be Will's uncle. I'm Chad, EJ's brother." Chad put his hand out to Eric.<p>

Eric took Chad's hand. "It's nice to meet you. My name is Eric."

"Come in. I think we are going to leave in a second. I'm just waiting for EJ to come downstairs so we can leave." Chad let Eric and Will come in. As they entered, Chad watched Will and thought about what he witnessed the last weekend. He never approached Will about it because he did not know what to say.

Will noticed Chad was looking at him differently. "Is everything okay, Chad?" Will thought about how he wanted to tell Chad his secret. He wondered if he could hold off until after the wedding ceremony.

"I'm fine. I'm just ready to get out of here." Chad looked up the stairs trying to avoid looking at Will.

"So who else is coming to this?" Eric asked.

Will tried not to feel uncomfortable with Chad. "Nathan Horton and Sonny Kiriakis are meeting us at the bar."

"Your dad and Austin aren't coming?" Eric asked slightly joking.

"Dad and Uncle Austin are hanging out with Grandma Kate. They're watching the kids tonight." Will turned to Chad. "Are we still going to that one club? What's it called?"

"Yeah… what's it called?" EJ asked as he made his way down the stairs.

Chad looked up at his brother. "You know we can't tell you that. It's a surprise!" Chad grabbed a blindfold for EJ. "You have to put this on."

EJ gave his little brother a silly look. "You can't be serious."

Chad smiled widely. "I'm completely serious!" Chad moved so that he could put the blindfold on EJ as Will and Eric watched. "Here." Chad put the blindfold on EJ and then stood in front of him. Putting up three fingers in front of EJ's face, Chad asked, "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"I have no earthly clue." EJ did not like being blindfolded. "So where are we going?"

"You're about find out." Chad led EJ out the door. "Come on boys! We're going to have some fun!"

* * *

><p>Sami's bachelorette party was held at the Brady Pub. Sami stood at the bar with her sister and grandmother as they watched the others enjoying each other's company. "Thanks for doing this for me, Carrie. I'm glad that we got a good group here tonight." Sami wished Belle could have made it to the party.<p>

"Thanks to grandma," Carrie looked over to Caroline, "we were able to have it here. I tried to reserve some space at Beefcakes, but I guess while I was away they turned it into a gay strip club."

Sami glanced at Caroline. "What's wrong with that? We could have had a lot of fun there."

Caroline shook her head. "I'm glad that we decided to have it here instead." Caroline decided she did not want to stay for the rest of the bachelorette party. "I'm going upstairs to talk to John and Marlena. You girls have fun and call me if you need me."

After Caroline left, Carrie turned to Sami. "I have a lot of surprises in store for you tonight. I hope you enjoy them."

"It's too bad Belle couldn't make it to the bachelorette party. Shawn and Claire are really sick." Sami wondered if Belle would be able to make it to the wedding if they did not feel better.

"Well, at least they made it back to Salem in time. They're probably just really exhausted from the trip over. Hopefully they will feel better by tomorrow. Luckily, she has Hope to help her take care of them tonight." Carrie turned back and started looking for shot glasses. "I'll be right back." Carrie headed to the back walking past Jennifer and Lexie.

Jennifer and Lexie smiled at Carrie as she passed them. Lexie turned back to Jennifer. "I'm glad that no one was hurt. I actually talked to Chad last week and he told me that he and Abigail were able to work things out."

Jennifer did not know what to think about Abigail's relationship with Chad. "It was a surprise to me. I'm worried for Abigail's safety. I know that EJ and Chad were suspects for a while there."

"Their names have been cleared. You don't have to worry about Abigail. Chad will not put her in harm's way." Lexie looked over at Abigail, who was talking to Melanie. She wondered if Chad had put any thought about her advice concerning Will. Lexie smiled at Jennifer, "You know… I think it's kind of awkward being at Sami Brady's bachelorette party. I only came because she's marrying my brother."

Jennifer's eyes widened. "You feel awkward?" she laughed. "She used to be married to my brother." Jennifer thought about how someone broke into her house again. "Truth be told, I came because I did not want to be alone in the house tonight. Daniel is working the night shift unfortunately. He promised he would make it up to me tomorrow though."

Back at the bar, Gabi walked over to get a glass of water. Sami decided to talk to Gabi. "Gabi, I am so glad you could make it."

"Thanks for having me. I have to admit that this beats watching wrestling with my brothers." Gabi forced a smile.

Intrigued by Gabi's use of the word 'brothers', Sami asked, "Brothers?"

Gabi realized what she had said and remembered Manny said he was no longer hiding. "Oh, yeah. My older brother, Manuel, is in town."

Sami remembered that Manny went to jail for Rafe to cover Emily's death and decided not to press the issue too much. "I know that things are awkward for us… because Will broke up with you, but I hope you know that I still consider you family. I don't blame you for – you know."

Gabi knew Sami was referring to Rafe. "Thanks. I really appreciate it." Gabi looked over to Melanie and Abigail who stood by the snack table.

Abigail grabbed a piece of celery and took a bite. "I noticed things were awkward between you and Dario earlier. In fact, you really haven't talked about him recently. Is everything okay?"

Melanie grabbed a piece of cheese. "Dario and I are giving each other space, so that we can decide what we want. I guess we'll regroup after the wedding and decide if we want to remain boyfriend and girlfriend."

"Is that what you want?" Abigail asked wondering if it was as serious as it sounded.

"It's for the best. I think Dario and I have been too distracted to really connect with each other. I guess this way we can decide if being together is what we really want." Melanie took a drink of her water. "So did you and Chad ever reschedule your 'sleep over'?"

"Not yet." Abigail looked at her mother. "Ever since someone broke in the house, my mother has been overprotective to the max. Hopefully it will happen this weekend."

Carrie walked out with a tray full of shots. "It's time for a toast! Everyone take a shot!" Everyone grabbed a shot to toast Sami. "To my sister, Samantha Gene Brady! May all your dreams come true with EJ Dimera!"

Everyone toasted Sami and took a shot. Suddenly there was a loud knock on the door. Everyone looked towards the door wondering who would be on the other side. "Maybe Belle decided to stop by for a bit." Sami headed to the door to open it. On the other side stood an officer. "Is there a problem…" Sami looked at the Officer's nameplate, "…Officer… Bedwell?"

Slightly lowering his shades, he looked into Sami's eyes. "I got a complaint about the noise level. Mind if I check the place out?"

Sami looked at the others as she did not recognize the cop. He was rather young, so he must have been new to the force. "Sure. We have nothing to hide."

After lifting his shades up, the officer walked in to look the place over. "Is there a Sami Brady around? I hear she has been causing trouble."

Sami walked over to Carrie and did not know what to do. Carrie put her arm around Sami and pointed to her. "She's right here, officer."

"Carrie? What are you doing?" Sami wondered why she was in trouble with the police. She wondered if her father sent someone over to arrest her so she would not marry EJ. It would not be the first time.

Carrie walked over to the radio and pushed play. "It's just one of my surprises."

The cop walked over to Sami with his handcuffs. "Hi. I'm Officer Bedwell and I am going to show you a good time." The officer started dancing to the music and Sami quickly realized that he was a stripper.

"Oh my gosh." Sami did not know what to do and blushed a bit. "Carrie, I can't believe you did this."

The other ladies started to cheer on the stripper and playfully laugh at Sami. Once the officer took his hat and shades off, Abigail realized who the stripper was. "Josh, is that you?"

Josh turned around and realized Abigail was there. He felt awkward about stripping in front of her, but he had to do his job right if he was going to pay for his next year of college. He began to unbutton his shirt as he made his way over to Abigail. "I'm a party entertainer. I DJ, sing, play the guitar, and strip. Did I forget to mention that I do this? I have to pay for school and I'm saving money to study abroad in the fall." Josh turned back to Sami as he continued to strip.

Gabi put her hand on Abigail's shoulder and smiled. "You were an idiot to let him go." They watched as Josh ripped his pants off. "Wow… a very big idiot."

Abigail could not help smiling as she watched Josh. "He definitely has the body for it."

Sami noticed that Abigail, Melanie, and Gabi seemed to enjoy the show. "Officer… Bedwell… you can strip for those girls over there if you want. They're of age. I don't want to upset my husband," she lied. Josh made his way over to the girls to give them the show.

Sami walked over to Carrie, Jen, and Lexie. "Carrie, that kid is about the same age as Will. I feel all kinds of wrong."

Jennifer turned away from the show and placed her hand above her eyes. "He's a bit older than Will. He's Abigail's age…. I know because he used to date Abigail." Jennifer shook her head at the thought. She never thought she would see Josh with so little clothes.

Carrie noticed that Sami, Jen, and Lexie felt awkward about the guy. "Well, let's let him finish his show with the younger girls. This was last minute, so that's all I could get. He's cute, but you're right… he's too young." Carrie grabbed a bottle of Jose Cuervo. "How about another shot?"

The ladies turned their back to Josh, Melanie, Abigail, and Gabi and took another shot. Jennifer began to laugh. "I'm definitely too old for this."

* * *

><p>At Club Echelon, EJ and the other guys took a shot after Chad made a toast to his brother. EJ looked over to his brother. "It's crazy that you decided to bring me here as this place used to be owned by a family member. We had a crazy cousin who pretended to be our older brother, Tony. I'll have to fill you in on all those details later. It's quite the story."<p>

Chad realized why he got a discount on reserving the place. "Cool. I can't wait to find out more of the family history," he responded somewhat sarcastic. Chad looked over at Will after taking another shot. Putting his arm around Will, he said, "Let's go check out the entertainment."

After Chad and Will walked away, Eric decided to take the opportunity to talk to EJ about marrying his sister. "So… this is it, man."

EJ shook his head. "Yep." EJ felt a bit awkward as he and Eric really did not know each other. He also felt awkward because he really had no friends and everyone that showed up to his bachelor party were either friends of Chad or friends of Will. He wondered if he should change that. "I know that Samantha is really happy about you making it to the wedding."

"Yeah, I've tried to stay away from Salem, but I know that tomorrow is something that Sami has always wished for." Even though Eric had never met EJ before this, he had heard a lot about him through Sami and other family members. "So Sami told me you were once married to Nicole. How was that?"

EJ figured Eric only asked about Nicole because he wanted to make sure that he really loved Sami. "Nicole had her moments, but I regret letting her into my life."

Eric had not talked to Nicole in forever and wondered if she changed since he last talked to her. "Do you know how she is?"

EJ gave Eric an odd look. He then remembered Sami telling him about how Nicole ruined Eric's life. Looking at his drink, he replied, "Honestly, I don't care, but I did hear that she is visiting her brother and mother in Chicago at the moment. She claimed she needed a break from Salem." He looked back at Eric. "You should look her up. You might do her some good."

On the other side of the bar, Nathan could tell Sonny was not having fun. "How about we go find someone to dance with on the dance floor?"

Sonny looked around. "There's no one here that I really want to dance with. This is a gentlemen's club and there's nothing but women."

"Will might dance with you." Nathan looked over and saw Chad and Will talking to a woman.

Sonny looked down and took a sip of his soda. "I doubt it. He hasn't come out to everyone yet. He wouldn't do that in front of Chad."

"It looks like Chad and Will are having fun." Nathan turned back to Sonny. "Why are you so down tonight?"

Before Sonny could answer, Chad and Will came over to Sonny and Nathan. "Will, just talked me out of buying my brother a lap dance. Don't you think it's obligatory that EJ get a lap dance at his bachelor party?" Chad asked the bartender for another shot.

Sonny noticed Chad was drinking a lot. "I think Will is right. I'm sure Sami would not like that." Sonny looked around and wished that Dario was there even though they had not said a word to each other since the weekend before. "I think I should head home. I'm a bit tired. Are you coming Will?"

Chad held onto Will and gave Sonny a look. "Will's not going anywhere. He's staying for the whole party."

Will felt a bit awkward with how territorial Chad seemed. "I can't go. I'm DD and I have to make sure everyone gets home." Will moved away from Chad to talk to Sonny alone. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm just not good to hang out with at the moment." Sonny wished he could stop loving Dario, but he knew it would take time.

Will gave Sonny a hug. "If you need anything text me. I will see you tonight if you're still awake when I get back."

Sonny forced a smile. "Okay. Bye."

"Bye." Will watched Sonny leave and turned back to see Chad and Nathan taking another shot. Will walked over to them. "How many shots have you guys taken?"

"I lost count!" Chad turned to bartender for another round of shots. Chad turned to EJ. "I'm going to make another toast!" The guys gathered around EJ as the bartender gave everyone except Will a shot glass. Will grabbed his soda for the toast. Chad looked around to make sure everyone was ready for his toast. Raising his glass, he looked at EJ. "To my brother, may his dreams continue to come true!"

The guys raised their drinks to EJ and took the shots. EJ hugged Chad. "I hope your dreams come true as well little brother." EJ looked around the club. "Hey, we should move over to those seats. They look more comfortable."

"I need to go to the bathroom first." Chad realized he drank a lot and headed to the bathroom.

Nathan saw this as an opportunity to talk to Will. "We'll move over there in a second." Nathan and Will watched as Eric and EJ walked over to the sofas. Nathan turned back to Will. "We haven't talked much since the camping trip a month ago. I feel bad that I haven't been there for you."

Will did not understand what Nathan was talking about. "What do you mean? I understand that you've been busy at the hospital, but you have no reason to check in with me."

Nathan glanced down for a moment. "I called you a freak during the camping trip because I overheard your confession to Chad in my tent. I was scared by the idea that you were gay, and I am sorry I said that to you and treated you differently because of it."

Will thought about the camping trip and everything made sense. "Thanks for apologizing. It means a lot." Will did not know what else to say.

Nathan knew he had to apologize for something else. "Will, I am also sorry that I made your life more complicated. Because of me, your father found out you were gay. I'm sorry I slipped up on your secret that way."

Will smiled at Nathan. "It's okay… everything worked out in the end." Will did not want Nathan to feel bad, although it did annoy him a bit that everyone seemed to know his secret before he got the chance to tell them. It seemed Chad was the exception.

"I'm glad things worked out, but I really am sorry for my actions." Nathan took a sip of water. "Have you told Chad yet?"

Will looked down somewhat embarrassed. "No, not yet."

Nathan stood up to give Will a hug. He put his mouth to Will's ear. "I'm rooting for you. I love you."

"I love you, too." Will smiled as he saw Chad making his way towards them. "Chad's coming back."

Nathan and Will separated and turned to Chad. Chad immediately put his arms all over Will. "Let's keep this party moving!" He was glad that he and Will were having fun together.

* * *

><p>After all the partying, Will dropped Nathan and Eric off and then headed to the Dimera Mansion to take EJ and Chad home. He looked in the rearview mirror where EJ and Chad sat together. Even though Will had a rough time at Club Echelon, he smiled as he watched the two of them sing some unknown song together. Will wondered if they were making it up as they went on.<p>

When they arrived, EJ unlocked the front door so they could get in. Will had to help Chad walk into the house. "I can take him up, so you can get as much sleep as you need."

"Thanks." EJ smiled. "Goodnight. I'll see you at the church." EJ made his way up the stairs leaving Chad and Will in the foyer.

Will looked at Chad, who seemed to still have quite a bit of energy left for the night. "Let's take you to your room."

"But I still want to party!" Chad exclaimed in a loud whisper.

"Party's over unfortunately. It's late." Will helped Chad up the stairs and into his room.

Chad sat on his bed and looked at Will. "You should stay the night since it's so late! Your tux is still here… and you also have a toothbrush here! You're set!" Chad stood up and walked over to Will. "So Will… stay the night."

Will smiled as Chad put his arm around him. "Okay… but only if you promise we'll go straight to sleep!"

Chad smiled at Will. "Of course, but we have to get ready for bed first!" Chad removed his arm from Will and began to take off his shoes.

Will took off his shoes and began to unbutton his shirt. "You have any shorts I can borrow?"

After taking off his shoes and socks, Chad walked over to Will. "You don't need shorts!" Chad began to help Will take off his belt. "I want to help you get ready for bed."

Will took off his shirt and watched as Chad helped him undress. "I guess there's no stopping you." Will felt a bit awkward, but he really did enjoy Chad's help.

Chad unbuttoned Will's pants and then pulled them from Will's body. He looked up at Will's underwear and smiled. "I guess you're ready for bed!" Chad pulled Will close to him and pushed him on the bed.

Will fell on his back wondering why Chad pushed him on the bed so fast. He raised his body using his elbows. "Do you need help?"

Still clothed, Chad made his way to the bed and quickly straddled Will. "I'm going to give you a show. I watched those ladies tonight and I think I can give a better lap dance than they did!"

Will's eyes widened at Chad's behavior and suggestion. He tried not to get too excited. He believed Chad was only acting this way because he was drunk. "It's okay. You don't have to give me a lap dance. What am I going to tip you with anyway? Let's just go to sleep."

Chad put his finger over Will's mouth to make him stop talking. "Just sit back and enjoy!" Chad closed his eyes and unbuttoned his shirt while he made beat noises. After his shirt was off, Chad stood up on the bed over Will and took off his belt. He waved his belt around until he let it fly out of his hand and into a corner. He pulled off his pants one leg at a time and straddled Will once again as he continued to make slurred beat noises.

Will smiled at Chad. "Okay. You're done. We can go to sleep now."

"I still have my underwear on!" Chad winked at Will as he stood up again to take them off. He straddled Will for a second completely naked, but slid off to his side of the bed. Chad looked over at Will and moved closer to Will. He moved his head even closer to Will's head. "Truth or dare."

Confused, Will quickly looked at Chad. "I… I don't want to play. We should just go to sleep. We need the sleep."

"Come on." Chad grabbed Will's arm and placed it on his chest. "You still owe me something for that lap dance. Just one round… that's it."

"Okay… one round." Will could feel Chad's heart beat as his hand continued to touch Chad's bare chest. "Dare."

Chad moved on his side with his eyes slightly closed. He thought about the kiss he saw between Will and Sonny. "I dare you to kiss me."

As much as Will wanted to kiss Chad, he did not want to play this game anymore with him. "I'm not playing Chad. This game is stupid."

Chad chuckled quietly. "It's not a game, Will. I really want you to kiss me," he admitted as he kissed Will's hand. "So will you kiss me goodnight?"

Will's heart skipped a beat. He wondered if he heard Chad correctly. "If you want me to." Will moved in closer to Chad and kissed him softly. Will watched Chad as he smiled.

"Thanks." Chad's eyes were completely shut now. He wrapped his arms around Will to hold him. "This is where you belong, Will. With me." Chad immediately went to sleep.

Will lifted his head a bit to look at Chad. "Chad?" He got no response. "Chad are you awake?" Chad did not respond. Will placed his head back on Chad's chest. He wondered what just happened.


	50. Chapter 50 Chasing Pavements

**Chapter 50: Chasing Pavements – Saturday, July 30th, 2011**

The next morning at the Brady Pub, Sami made her way down the stairs with Marlena to find Carrie waiting for them so they could head to the church to get ready. Carrie gave Sami a somber look. "I hate to tell you this, but dad's not coming to the wedding."

Sami immediately started to freak out. "Great. Something is already going wrong. I don't have anyone to walk me down the aisle now. What am I going to do?"

Marlena put her arm around Sami's shoulder. "It's going to be okay, Sami." She could not believe that Roman decided not to come. "Don't stress about it. We'll come up with something. Maybe I can walk you down the aisle… or your brother Eric could do it. That might be nice."

"Or John could do it," Carrie suggested. "You have plenty of options, Sami. Your wedding will be great." Carrie wanted to keep Sami as calm as possible.

"Your father is supposed to walk you down the aisle. I really thought he would come through this time." Sami began to tear up. She wiped her face realizing she did not have time to be upset. "Okay. We should head to the church. I'll decide what to do on the way over."

* * *

><p>In Chad's room, Will and Chad were still asleep cuddling with each other. Will's head remained on Chad's chest as they breathed deeply having sweet dreams. Will's left hand rested on Chad's arm while his right hand held onto Chad's waist. Chad's right hand held onto Will's back while his left hand rested on top of Will's head.<p>

Will's cell phone began to ring causing Will to wake up. He lifted his head and accidentally placed his right hand on Chad's morning wood. Will immediately looked at Chad realizing he was still asleep. Even after kissing Chad the night before, Will did not want Chad to freak out on him. Will turned around to grab his phone so he could answer it, but Chad would not let him go. Chad wrapped his legs around Will's body and held him tight. Chad began to talk softly in his sleep. "I'm not ready to get up, mom."

Will stretched out his hand, grabbed his phone, and quickly answered. "Hello?"

On the other side, Sami responded, "Will. I need you to get to the church as soon as possible. I need to talk to you about something."

"Okay. I'll shower and get there as fast as I can," Will responded. After hanging up Will looked at the time. He quickly realized that he and Chad slept through their alarms. He turned around and began to shake Chad. "Chad… wake up. We need to get up now. We're going to be late!"

Chad began to mumble as he slowly opened his eyes. He let go of Will and smiled. "You stayed the night!" he exclaimed. Chad lowered his hand to adjust himself and realized he was naked. "I'm naked… why am I naked?" He pulled the cover over him to hide his naked body as he got off the bed revealing Will's morning wood sticking out of his briefs. Chad looked away from Will. "What happened last night?"

Will stood up and covered his morning wood. "What do you mean what happened last night?"

Chad looked around the room and saw his clothes everywhere. He realized how upset EJ and Stefano would be when he arrived late to the church. "We're going to be late for the wedding!"

Will walked over to Chad. "You take your shower first then. I'll come in after you're done." Will began to push Chad towards the bathroom as he did not move. "Come on Chad."

"I'm going. Don't touch me!" Chad still did not understand why he slept in the nude with Will." He scratched his head as he kept glancing down at Will's bulge. "I can shower on my own. We do have time for that."

"I never suggested we should shower together. Are you even listening to me?" Will did not understand why Chad suddenly got so moody and awkward. Chad went into the bathroom and closed the door. Will headed to the closet to grab their tuxes.

* * *

><p>At St. Luke's, EJ, Stefano, and Eric stood in a room designated for the groom to wait in before the wedding. Stefano looked at the time and turned to EJ. "Where is your brother? He should have been here by now."<p>

"I have no idea. Maybe he slept through his alarm." EJ looked at his watch. "He'll be here. Don't worry."

Eric stepped in to answer. "Sami told me earlier that she called Will and that he and Chad were on their way."

Just then Chad walked in with his hands up. "I know I'm late, but I am here."

Stefano turned to Chad. "Why are you late? Did something happen to your car?"

"No. I just slept in a bit, but I made it before the wedding starts. That's all that matters, right?" Chad hoped that EJ was not upset with him.

"Of course… at least you came dressed." EJ buttoned the sleeves of his shirt, so he could put his jacket on. "So where is Will?"

Chad remembered waking up naked next to Will. "I don't know. When we walked into the church, he went a different direction." Chad suddenly got defensive about EJ's question. "It's not like I'm his keeper or anything. I don't care what he does."

Eric did not know what to make of Chad's moodiness. "I'm going to check on the kids." He left the room.

Stefano and EJ gave Chad a strange look. Stefano decided he did not want to ask why Chad responded that way. "I'm going to talk to Father Matt to make sure everything's set."

After Stefano left, Chad gave EJ an annoyed look. "What? Why were you and father staring at me like that?"

EJ put on his jacket. "Are you okay? You seem off."

Trying to make excuses for his defensiveness, Chad replied, "Well, to be honest, my head hurts a bit. I'm feeling a bit hung over from last night." Chad rubbed his head. "Do you have any ibuprofen?"

EJ pulled out a bottle from his pocket. "You're in luck. I needed one earlier." EJ tossed the bottle to Chad. As Chad messed with the bottle, EJ turned to the mirror to make sure his bowtie was on straight. He watched Chad through the mirror. "I think you had more fun than me last night. You were all over Will."

Chad took the ibuprofen and gave EJ a strange look. "What do you mean?"

"You were on him all night about having sex with one of the women at Echelon. You would not leave him alone about it either and made tons of jokes about it. You seemed to enjoy messing with Will." EJ turned around to face his brother. "You kept telling Will to prove his manhood." EJ felt bad for Will and wanted Chad to understand what he did was not acceptable. He shook his head at Chad as he continued, "A man does not prove his manhood by sleeping with a woman. I hope you have better sense than that."

Chad could not believe he did that to Will. "I did that?" EJ shook his head. Chad felt like a dick for what he did to Will. He hardly remembered anything from the night before.

* * *

><p>Will walked into the bridal room at the church after knocking. Sami turned around and smiled at Will as he walked in. "Someone looks good in a tux."<p>

"There's my grandson!" Marlena went over to give Will a hug. "Your mother's right. You are so handsome!"

Carrie straightened Will's bowtie. "Now you're set." Carrie smiled at Will and turned back to Sami to help Marlena put Sami's veil on.

"You look beautiful mom!" Will smiled as he moved closer to Sami.

"Thanks, Will." Sami looked towards Will. "So have you told Chad yet?"

"I haven't yet." Will thought about Chad's strange behavior the night before as well as this morning. "I might tell him tonight to just get it over with."

Marlena and Carrie looked at each other and wondered why Will needed to talk to Chad. After putting Sami's veil on, Marlena went over and put her arm around Will. "What do you need to talk to Chad about? Is it about school or something?"

Will became embarrassed and blushed. "I… We just need to talk about something important."

"What's something important? Inquiring minds would love to know," Carrie teased Will.

Will did not know what to say to his grandmother and aunt. He looked at Sami wishing she had never brought up the fact. "I… We have to talk about…"

"Will, I need to talk to you about why I asked you to come in here," Sami purposely interrupted so that Will did not have to answer Marlena and Carrie's questions.

Marlena and Carrie smiled at Will. "What do you need to talk to me about?"

Sami checked her dress to make sure everything was in order. "I am wondering if you could walk me down the aisle."

Will realized that Sami's request meant that Roman was not coming. "Of course… but what do I do about walking Abigail down?"

"Oh. You'll take her down and then come back around before the wedding march plays. You should have plenty of time." Sami turned to face Will. "Is that okay?"

"Yeah. I would love to walk you down the aisle." Will smiled as Sami gave him a kiss on the cheek grateful that he agreed.

* * *

><p>After Will walked Abigail to her place he walked around the pews of the church and met Sami outside of the sanctuary where she stood with his other siblings. He took her arm and smiled. "Are you ready for this?"<p>

Sami smiled as a tear fell down her face. "I told myself I wouldn't cry. Look at me, the wedding just started and so have I." Sami immediately looked straight ahead as she watched Chad and Carrie make their way down the aisle. After Chad and Carrie took their positions, Sami whispered to Johnny, Allie, and Sydney that it was their turn. As Johnny escorted his sisters down the aisle with the ring in his pocket, Allie and Sydney threw flowers out of their baskets.

When Johnny, Allie, and Sydney made it to the altar, Marlena and Belle grabbed the girls, while Chad grabbed the ring from Johnny's pocket and handed him over to Lexie. Chad glanced quickly to the back and made eye contact with Will.

Suddenly, the wedding march began to play. EJ turned around to watch Sami walk down the aisle with Will. Marlena stood up as the others on the pews followed suit. Watching Sami come down in her wedding dress made EJ feel at peace. EJ tilted his head towards Chad. "I'm the luckiest man alive."

Chad tried to keep his eyes on Sami, but he could not keep his eyes away from Will as he thought about what he did to him the night before. He noticed Will's smile which made Chad feel good. "Let's hope that nothing gets in the way." Chad turned to EJ and gave him a wink.

Will could not keep his eyes off of Chad while he brought his mother down the aisle. He did not know what to do about his conflicted thoughts and feelings. His heart skipped a beat every time his eyes met Chad's eyes. Part of Will hated that Chad had that power over him, especially with the stuff he pulled at the bachelor party. Will felt confused on what to do about Chad. The kiss and the lap dance really did a number on him. Each told him that Chad felt the same way.

After Sami had taken her place at the altar, Will stood in the middle of Chad and his Uncle Eric. The audience watched Sami and EJ as Father Matt started the service. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here in the sight of God, and in the presence of these witnesses, to join together this man and this woman in holy matrimony; which is an honorable estate, instituted of God. It is therefore, not to be entered into unadvisedly, but reverently, discreetly, and in the fear of God. Into this holy estate these two persons come now to be joined."

Will turned and spotted his great-grandmother sitting next to Shawn and Claire. She gave Will a look of disappointment as Father Matt explained how marriage was meant to be between a man and a woman. Will looked away as he tried to focus on how happy his mother was.

Father Matt bowed his head. "Let us pray." Everyone bowed their head. "Our Father, love has been Your richest and greatest gift to the world. Love between a man and a woman which matures into marriage is one of Your most beautiful types of loves. Today we celebrate that love. May your blessing be on this wedding service. Protect, guide, and bless Elvis and Samantha in their marriage. Surround them and us with Your love now and always. Amen." Father Matt raised his head and faced the audience. "You may be seated." He then turned to the parents of Sami and EJ. "Who presents this woman and this man to be married to each other?"

Marlena and Stefano stood and spoke in unison. "We do." Stefano turned to Marlena and smiled. Marlena forced a smile as she took her seat. EJ and Sami then turned to face Father Matt.

Father Matt turned his attention to Sami and EJ who were both smiling. "Let me charge you both to remember, that your future happiness is to be found in mutual consideration, patience, kindness, confidence, and affection." Father Matt turned to EJ as he continued, "Elvis, it is your duty to love Samantha as yourself, provide tender leadership and protect her from danger." He then turned to Sami. "Samantha, it is your duty to treat Elvis with respect, support him, and create a healthy, happy home." He then turned to both of them. "If the solemn vows which you are about to make are kept permanently, and if you steadfastly seek to do the will of your Heavenly Father, your life will be full of peace and joy, and the home which you are establishing will abide through every change."

As Father Matt continued with the pledges, Abigail could not help but notice how Chad and Will kept looking at each other as Father Matt spoke. She did not understand why. She began to question if something happened during the bachelor party. She wondered if Will broke his promise to not tell Chad until after the wedding. Chad glanced and smiled at Abigail once which made her feel slightly better.

"It's my understanding that each of you have written your own vows." Father Matt turned to EJ and Sami as they nodded their heads. "Elvis, you may go first."

EJ grabbed Sami's hand and smiled. "My Samantha, you are quite the woman." EJ wiped the tears coming from Sami's face. "You are so beautiful when you cry." EJ smiled as he continued, "You are a very strong woman who has been through so much in your life. You are beautiful and intelligent. I'm crazy about you. I adore the bad girl in you just as much as I adore the good. When I met you, I became my own man. I love you Samantha as I love no other. All that I am I share with you. I take you to be my wife through health and sickness, through plenty and want, through joy and sorrow, now and forever. From the depth of my being, I will seek to be open and honest with you."

Sami smiled and wiped the tears off her face. "Growing up, I was often misunderstood by a lot of people, but when you came into my life you understood me. I remember the summer we first met when I told Lexie that you believed in me – that you understood me. You were my best friend. You loved everything about me, but I pushed you away. You once told me that I may never be able to change the past, but I could change the future." Sami looked deep into EJ's eyes with tears of joy. "I'm so glad that you're my present and my future. One thing that I've learned through our experience together is that love is all you need."

As Will listened to EJ and Sami's vows he could not help but think about Chad. When Sami said her last statement Chad could not stop thinking about what Lexie told him the week before about his friendship with Will. He knew that he loved Will very much and it scared him because he did not fully understand it. It scared him more when he realized that he was not in love with Abigail. He tried to shake off the fear by smiling at Abigail.

Sami continued, "I will love you when we are together and when we are apart… when our lives are at peace and when they are in turmoil… when I am proud of you and when I am disappointed… in times of rest and in times of work. I will honor your goals and dreams and help you to fulfill them. From the depth of my being, I will seek to be open and honest with you."

After Sami finished she turned her head to Father Matt to let him know she was done. She turned back to EJ as Father Matt continued the service. "May I have the rings." Carrie and Chad gave the rings to Father Matt. "Let us pray." Everyone bowed their heads. "Bless, O Lord, the giving and receiving of these rings. May Elvis and Samantha abide in Thy peace and grow in their knowledge of Your presence through their loving union. May the seamless circle of these rings become the symbol of their endless love and serve to remind them of the holy covenant they have entered into today to be faithful, loving, and kind to each other. Dear God, may they live in Your grace and be forever true to this union. Amen."

With help from Father Matt, EJ placed the ring on Sami's finger and said, "Samantha, I give you this ring as a symbol of our vows, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit… with this ring, I thee wed."

Father Matt helped Sami as she put the ring on his finger. "EJ, I give you this ring as a symbol of our vows, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit… with this ring, I thee wed."

As everyone watched in silent joy, Father Matt made his pronouncement. "Because Elvis and Samantha have desired each other in marriage, and have witnessed this before God and our gathering, affirming their acceptance of the responsibilities of such a union, and have pledged their love and faith to each other, sealing their vows in the giving and receiving of things, I do proclaim that they are husband and wife in the sight of God and man. Let all people here and everywhere recognize and respect this holy union, now and forever." Father Matt smiled at EJ. "Elvis, you may now kiss your Bride."

EJ smiled widely as he took Sami in his arms and kissed her. "We did it, sweetheart!" Sami smiled back.

Father Matt had EJ and Sami turn towards the audience. "It is now my privilege to introduce to you Mr. and Mrs. Dimera." The audience stood up and applauded as the recessional started. EJ took Sami in his arms and led her outside of the church. Chad led Carrie out next. Will, Abigail, Eric, and Gabi followed suit.

After everyone made it outside, people gathered around Sami and EJ to congratulate them on their marriage. After hugging EJ and Sami, Will turned around to look for Chad. He wondered if he should tell him everything now or wait until after the reception. He found Chad inside the church hugging and kissing Abigail. Will wondered if he was fooling himself.

* * *

><p>The wedding reception was held at Chez Rouge. After John and Brady took turns introducing the wedding party and John said a blessing over EJ and Sami, dinner was served. Will took a seat next to Sonny after eating. "Hey, I am glad you could come to the reception as well."<p>

Sonny smiled. "The wedding ceremony was very beautiful. Father Matt was a bit long winded, but it was beautiful. I couldn't help but notice that you kept staring at Chad. Did you stay the night with him last night? You never returned to the apartment."

Will did not really want to talk about Chad as Chad had spent most of his time with Abigail at the reception so far. "Maggie really out did herself with all of these decorations. Everything looks amazing."

Sonny looked around the room wondering why Will changed the subject. "Yeah, it is." Sonny spotted Chad with Abigail and Jennifer. "I'm guessing you have not talked to Chad yet. The wedding is technically over, right?"

"I guess. I just don't know if I'll have the chance because he hasn't been alone yet." Will spotted Chad and Abigail as well. "It's like he's using Abigail to avoid me or something." Will thought about how awkward Chad was this morning when they woke up. He wondered if Chad got scared about what happened between them the night before.

John grabbed the mic again to announce they were cutting the cake. EJ and Sami made their way to the cake as did the rest of the wedding party and other family members. Will moved closer so that he could watch EJ and Sami cut into the cake together but did not realize he was standing close to Chad.

Everyone laughed when Sami and EJ put icing over each other's faces. After the cake had been cut Marlena, Carrie, Lexie, Kate, and Belle took over to pass out cake for everyone. Chad began to walk away from the cake accidentally running into Will. "Will." Chad still felt bad for what he did to Will. He did not know how to apologize.

Will looked around and realized Abigail was not around. "Chad, I'm glad we bumped into each other. I want to talk to you about something."

Feeling guilty, Chad did not know what to say. "What do you want to talk to me about?" he asked nervously.

Before Will could respond, Abigail walked up to Chad, hugged him, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Guess what?" she asked rather excited.

Chad felt relieved he had a distraction from Will. "What?"

Abigail smiled as she took Chad's hand in hers. "We'll kind of have the house to ourselves tonight. Nathan will be in his room, but my mom just told me that she's staying the night with Daniel!"

Chad realized that meant they could have sex tonight. "That's great!" He tried not to think about his realization about not loving Abigail earlier. He just needed a distraction so he could stop thinking about Will.

"I know!" Abigail realized Will was standing next to them. "Oh, Will. I did not see you standing there."

Will did not know what to think about anything, but he knew he needed to talk to Chad. "Yep. I'm right here."

Carrie walked over to them. "Chad, it's time for our toasts to Sami and EJ. Abigail, could you take my place and continue to pass out cake?" Abigail shook her head and headed towards the cake. Carrie turned back to Chad. "I'll be over there on the stage to give my speech first. I'll hand you the mic when I'm done. After your speech, we will toast them. Be ready!" Carrie walked away.

Will stopped Chad from walking away. "So can we talk later?"

Chad turned around. "Yeah. We can talk later… maybe after my speech." Chad walked away.

During Carrie's speech, Gabi walked by Caroline. Caroline stopped her. "Gabi, you have a moment?"

"Of course." Gabi smiled as she wondered what Caroline wanted to talk to her about.

"I know that Will hurt you, but I feel like I can't really talk to anyone else about this." Caroline hoped that Gabi was still on her side. "I'm still worried about Will because his lifestyle is a sin. I don't know what to do."

Gabi nodded her head. "I know. I wish he could turn his life around."

Caroline grabbed Gabi's hand. "Maybe you could talk to him when you have the chance. Maybe you can convince him to change."

Gabi was not sure how to respond. "I can try. I hope that I can get through to him."

Caroline smiled as she patted Gabi's hand. "Oh, Gabi. I think you can. I believe you will be the one to save him."

After Carrie finished her speech, she handed the mic to Chad. Chad turned to EJ and Sami who were now seated at their private table. "Growing up, I never knew what it was like to have a brother or a sister. I often made do with my friends or cousins, but something almost always seemed off." Chad turned towards the audience and made eye contact with Will. He quickly turned back to EJ so he did not forget what he was doing. "When I discovered that I had an older brother and sister, I got really excited. At the same time I felt nervous because I had no idea what to expect, but I realized this past year how great it is to have siblings… especially an older brother. Being the baby of the family definitely has its perks." Chad laughed. "EJ did not take too kindly to me at first because I took the title away from him. The guy was spoiled – let me tell you. There was a time when I actually thought he would kill me for that title." Chad winked at EJ as the others laughed. "All kidding aside… EJ and Sami, I wish you two the best in the world. Your vows really touched me and made me realize how much I hope that I'll be blessed as much as you two have. I love you both and congratulations." Carrie walked over to Chad with two glasses of champagne. Chad raised his glass. "To EJ and Sami!"

After the toast, Carrie took the mic and announced it was time for EJ and Sami's first dance as a couple. EJ and Sami stood up and began to dance. EJ looked into Sami's eyes. "I must be dreaming, right?"

Sami smiled back at EJ. "No, I'm the one dreaming." Sami kissed EJ as the dance finished.

Will escorted Marlena onto the dance floor. He led her to EJ so that she could dance with him. Will took his mother's hand so they could dance. "Things are going rather smoothly. That's got to be a first for you," Will joked. "I'm so happy for you."

Sami chucked at Will's comment. "Do you want me to ground you?" she joked back. She looked into his eyes and smiled. "I hope one day you can have a day as magical as this." Sami held Will close and noticed Chad walking over with Johnny. "Here comes Chad with your brother."

Will turned around and let Johnny dance with their mom. He looked at Chad and gave him a funny look. "Are you going to escort me off the dance floor?" he asked playfully.

Chad smiled forgetting the awkwardness between him and Will for a moment. "I won't grab your arm, but we can walk off together." Chad and Will walked over to the tables. Chad noticed that Stefano was calling him over. "My father is signaling at me. I promise we'll talk later." Chad left Will standing there alone.

After the dancing was over, it was time for Sami to throw the bouquet. All the unmarried women and girls gathered behind Sami to catch it. Will sat next to Sonny as they both laughed wondering who would catch it. Sami threw the bouquet back. It landed in Abigail's hands. Abigail immediately made her way to Chad who sat with Stefano at a nearby table. It's a sign, Chad," she exclaimed teasing a bit.

Will could not stand watching Abigail and Chad together. He wondered if Chad would always blow him off and never talk to him. Will turned to Sonny. "I need some air." Will got up to leave.

Chad hugged Abigail and realized that he did not feel right about doing anything with Abigail tonight. "I hate to do this, but can we take a rain check on me sleeping over at your place. I don't think tonight is the night." Disappointed, Abigail nodded as Chad spotted Will leaving. "I'll be right back." Chad followed Will out the door.

Outside of Chez Rouge, Will continued to walk away from the restaurant as he wanted to get as far away from Chad and Abigail as possible. "This hurts too much."

"Will! Wait!" Chad called out to Will as he continued to follow him. After catching up with him, Chad could see that Will was on the verge of tears. "Do you still want to talk?"

Will looked away from Chad. "I do… if you're not busy."

"I followed you out here for a reason," Chad replied rather annoyed. "Don't shut down on me now. I'm so over this." Chad realized he was not making things better. "Will, I'm sorry I said that… and I'm also sorry for what I did last night."

Thinking Chad meant what happened in his bedroom the night before, Will responded, "You were drunk. It's okay." Will tried to smile to make Chad feel better about his mistake even though it hurt knowing Chad regretted kissing him. "It was kind of funny how you tried to give me a lap dance and then dared me to kiss you."

"Wait… what?" Chad did not remember those things. "I did that to you? Did we kiss?"

Will looked up at Chad wondering if Chad really did not remember. "Yeah… we did."

Chad could not believe it. "I feel like such an ass right now."

Will did not like Chad talking bad about himself. "You're not an ass and you shouldn't feel like one."

"No, I am one, Will." Chad looked into Will's eyes filled with sorrow. "I'm sorry that I tried to make you sleep with a woman at that club to prove your manhood. I was being stupid."

Will thought about how pushy Chad seemed about that. "I forgive you." Will realized that he needed to tell Chad his secret. "Chad, there's something I need to tell you."

Chad put his hands on each of Will's shoulders. "What is it?" He did not want to assume anything.

Will tried to keep his emotions in check as he spoke. "I'm gay."

Chad tried to continue looking in Will's eyes, but could not. "Are you with Sonny? Is that why you moved in with him?" he asked fearfully even though he thought he knew the answer already.

"No." Will quickly answered to set the record straight. "I only moved in with Sonny because I needed to get away from you as I wanted more from you."

Chad's heart began to beat a bit faster. "What do you mean you wanted more?"

Catching Chad's gaze, Will took one of Chad's hands from his shoulder and held it. "I love you." Will grabbed Chad's other hand from his shoulder to hold it as well.

Hearing Will say those words made Chad realize that Will did move out because he feared their closeness, but realized he was wrong about why Will feared that closeness. He realized Will was afraid of it because Will believed Chad did not feel the same. Chad questioned if he felt the same and remembered the feeling that he experienced when he caught Sonny with Will. Chad moved his head closer to Will's head as he felt a pull that told him to kiss Will. As they were about to kiss, Chad moved away because it did not seem right, but he allowed Will to continue to hold his hands.

Feeling the same pull to kiss each other, Will knew what he had to do to get Chad to kiss him. "I dare you to kiss me."

Chad thought about his kisses with Will in the past when Will dared him. He thought about the kiss on the beach after he performed CPR on Will. He thought about the kiss they shared on the lake. He remembered Will kissing him the night before. Thinking of all of those kisses, Chad realized that those kisses meant more to him than he cared to admit. "You know I can't say no to a dare," Chad responded nervously. Chad moved his head in closer to kiss Will, but stopped when he heard his name being called.

"Chad! Where are you?" Abigail's voice sounded. She could not see him as Chad and Will were behind a tree.

Chad pulled away from Will. "Will, this can't happen. This is not going to work. This is not how it's supposed to be." Chad began to walk away from Will, but turned around to say one more thing. "We can't tell anyone about this. No one." Chad turned around to find Abigail to see what she wanted.

Will suddenly burst into tears. His heart was completely broken as he believed Chad had rejected him. Trying to make himself feel better he told himself that Chad had to walk away because he was still in a relationship with Abigail. Will thought about how he could feel Chad wanting to kiss him. They both felt the pull. "I'm not giving up," Will decided. "I'm not giving up."


	51. Chapter 51 Back Off

**Chapter 51: Back Off – Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011**

At Sonny and Will's apartment, Sonny and Will sat on the couch as they talked about Will's issues with Chad. "I have not talked to Chad since the reception. I think I ruined our friendship when I told him everything." Will did not know what to do because Chad was avoiding him.

Sonny felt bad for Will as he knew what he was going through. "I think Chad is just scared because of what happened between the two of you. This is probably new territory for him."

Will shook his head as Sonny had a point. "I agree, but I don't know if he will come around."

Sonny took Will's hand. "Just promise me that you won't give up on Chad like I had to with my guy."

Will thought about how Sonny had changed over the past couple of weeks. He had lost a bit of hope about life. "Who is your guy?"

Sonny let go of Will's hand and turned away from Will. "I don't really want to talk about him." Sonny did not want to make Dario hate him more for telling someone else how he felt.

Will got up to answer the door when they heard a knock. Will welcomed Abigail in. "Do you want something to drink?"

Abigail walked in and spotted Sonny, but turned back to Will. "No. I'm fine. I am hoping I can talk to you – alone."

Sonny took the hint and got off the couch. "I'll leave. I could use a cup of caffeine to lift me up."

Abigail turned to Sonny. "Thanks, Sonny. I appreciate it."

"Bring me back something if you can." Will watched as Sonny walked out and wondered what Abigail wanted to talk to him about.

After Will and Abigail took a seat on the couch, Abigail decided to get everything out in the open. "I thought you should know that Chad told me that he wants nothing to do with you." Abigail could see that her comment hurt Will, but she knew that Will needed to hear it. "I came here as a favor to you and Chad. I let you tell Chad about how you feel, so now I need you to do something for me."

Will felt sick to his stomach as he thought about how Chad told Abigail that he wanted nothing to do with him. He tried to fight the pain as he did not want to cry in front of Abigail. "What do you want me to do for you?"

Abigail looked straight into Will's eyes to get her point across. "I need you to back off now. Chad made his decision and if you really care about family you'll respect my wishes."

Will thought about how Sonny told him not to give up, but he felt he owed Abigail since she let him tell Chad his secret. Feeling defeated, Will nodded his head. "Okay. I'll stay away from Chad."

* * *

><p>Chad paced in the living room at the Dimera Mansion thinking about Will. He felt guilty for avoiding him for the last few days, but he knew that he could not face him yet after what happened at the wedding reception. He tried to clear his mind about what happened, but every time he closed his eyes he saw Will in his tux telling Chad that he loved him.<p>

Kate walked in. "Oh, Chad. I was looking for you. I wanted to talk to you about Will." Kate wondered if Will had told Chad yet as she had her suspicions because of some of the things she witnessed at Sami and EJ's wedding.

"Will and I aren't really talking at the moment," Chad admitted. "I don't even know if Will and I are friends anymore." Chad wished he had handled Will's confession differently. He felt bad for just walking away.

Kate did not like hearing that Chad's friendship with Will might be over. "Well, when was the last time you talked to him?"

Before Chad could answer, Stefano entered the room. "Good… son. I need you to deliver a package to a man in the park."

Slightly annoyed that Stefano interrupted her talk with Chad, she turned towards her husband. "Can't this wait?"

"Unfortunately, it cannot." Stefano sneered as he wondered why Kate seemed like this was an inconvenience to her. "EJ is gone on his honeymoon for the week, and I need to send one of my sons to make this delivery. That leaves Chad. He's capable of doing this alone." Stefano turned to Chad. "This needs to be done immediately."

"What do I need to deliver?" Chad asked.

Stefano headed to the desk and pulled out a small package and handed it to Chad. "Take this. You'll recognize the guy. Make sure you are not seen."

Chad looked at the package. "Okay. I guess I'll be back later." Chad left.

Stefano turned his attention to his wife. "What are you up to? What were you discussing with Chad?"

Not wanting to delve into details, Kate decided to be vague. "I'm just trying to insure Chad's happiness."

Annoyed, Stefano shook his finger at Kate. "Leave him alone. I don't want you to mess with him this week. I need him focused." Stefano walked out of the room.

After Stefano left, Kate pulled out her phone and sent a text to Will: "When you have the chance please come to the Dimera Mansion. We need to talk about something." After sending the text, she put her phone down. She hoped Will would be able to come over soon.

* * *

><p>"Come in," Nathan announced when he heard a knock on his office door. He looked up when the door opened. "Dario?" he questioned as he stood up. "What are you doing here?" Nathan wondered if Dario's presence had anything to do with Melanie. He wondered if Dario would ask him to stay away from Melanie.<p>

Dario gave Nathan a defeated look. "You've won."

Nathan gave Dario a strange look. "I've won? Won what?"

"Melanie still loves you," Dario shared. "I think it's best if I let Melanie move on. She's not completely happy with me, but I think she can be with you."

Nathan did not know how to respond to Dario's thoughts. "Does Melanie know you're here?"

Dario shook his head. "No. I'm going to talk to her tonight. I'm going to tell her it's okay because I don't want to hold her back from what she really wants." Dario looked down. "I can see it in her face."

Nathan felt bad for Dario as he had wondered if Dario and Melanie would make it as a couple. "Are you going to be okay?"

Still avoiding eye contact, Dario answered, "I probably won't be, but all that matters is that Melanie is happy." Dario turned towards the door. "I'll let you get back to work, but I thought you should know."

After Dario walked out of Nathan's office, Nathan sat at his desk unable to work as he could not believe what just happened. He had a new found respect for Dario, but he wondered what would happen to him now.

* * *

><p>Will arrived at the Dimera Mansion as soon as he got Kate's text. Once Kate let him in, he followed her into the living room. Kate poured two glasses of water and handed one to him as they took a seat on the couch. "I wanted to check in with you." Kate took her grandson's hand. "I worry about you because some people are not so accepting of homosexuality. I hope it's okay that we talk about this."<p>

Will smiled at Kate as he knew she accepted him for him. "Yeah. I'd really like that." Will wondered if Chad was around. "Anyone around?"

Kate shook her head as she took a sip of water. "Stefano is in his room, Mary is upstairs with the kids, and Chad is running an errand. We are alone." Kate wanted Will to feel as comfortable as possible. "I hope you know that I love you no matter what, but like I said I worry what others might say or do to you." Kate took another sip of water. "How did your parents take the news?

Will took a sip of water as he wondered who he should start with first. "Well, mom has been very accepting and loving. She really has been there for me. She has allowed me to talk about it."

Kate smiled and thought that Sami finally responded correctly to something. "What about your father?"

Will did not know what to say about Lucas. "Well, I wouldn't say that dad had the opposite reaction, but sometimes it feels like it. He wants me to be straight and does not like when I talk about being gay."

Kate figured Lucas would react that way. "Your father has his reasons, but I'll try to get through to him. I'm sure I can make him come around."

Will doubted Lucas would ever accept him. "Sometimes I think it would take hell freezing over for him to accept me."

Kate played with her empty glass. "What about Chad? Have you told him?"

Will nodded his head. "Yeah. I told him at the reception Saturday night. It was awful. I think I scared Chad away and I think our friendship is over."

Kate thought about her short conversation with Chad earlier. "I don't think your friendship is over. I think you should move back into the mansion, so that you and Chad can reconnect like you did when you shared his room."

"I can't," Will admitted as he thought about his talk with Abigail earlier. "I doubt Chad would even want to share a room with me. Besides, I promised Abigail I would stay away."

"What did you promise Abigail exactly?" Kate wondered.

"I promised her that I would stay away from Chad because she told me that he wanted nothing to do with me, and I owed her a favor for letting me tell Chad in the first place." Will hated the position he was in.

Kate hated that Abigail twisted Will's arm so that she could keep Will away from Chad. She figured Abigail lied to Will. "Whatever you do, you can't give up on Chad."

"I have to, grandma." Will believed it would be wrong if he broke his promise. "I don't want to be like my mom in the past – scheming to get the man that I love when he probably loves someone else. I saw what happened between my mother, Aunt Carrie, and Uncle Austin multiple times. It never works out that way."

Kate hated seeing Will look so defeated. She knew she had to come up with another plan. Kate realized that this time she could use her manipulative skills for good as in the past, the pairings she tried to manipulate were people who truly did not love each other. She knew with Chad and Will it was different. She could see the love between them. "I know that Chad loves you. Please don't let Chad go."

* * *

><p>At Java Café, Sonny sat at a table alone drinking his second ice latté. He did not know how long Abigail wanted to talk to Will but figured Will would text him when she left. He wondered what they were talking about.<p>

Manny walked into Java Café, spotted Sonny, and recognized him. After ordering and getting his drink he made his way over to Sonny. Putting his hand out to Sonny, Manny introduced himself. "Hi, I'm Manuel, but you can call me Manny. I'm sorry if I'm intruding, but I couldn't help but notice how attractive you are. Do you work out?"

Sonny smiled and tried not to blush. Even though Manny was quite older than him, he could not help but notice how cute he was. Shaking Manny's hand, Sonny introduced himself, "I'm Sonny Kiriakis."

Sonny's last name intrigued Manny. "Are you related to Victor Kiriakis?"

Sonny gave Manny a questioning look. "How do you know my great-uncle?"

Manny took a seat and looked Sonny straight in the eyes. He bit his lip before answering. "Don't you think a little bit of mystery makes things a lot more exciting?"

Sonny smiled widely as he realized Manny seemed interested in him. He found Manny's forwardness extremely attractive. "Yeah. Definitely."

Dario walked in to buy a drink and snack to tide him over until Melanie showed up later so they could talk. He spotted Sonny and then realized that Manny was sitting next to him. "¡Mierda!" Dario made his way over to Manny and pulled him out of his chair. Believing that Manny was giving Sonny hell for being gay, he felt he needed to stand up for Sonny. "Back off!"

"I'm not doing anything. Is there a problem?" Manny gave Dario a look so he would back off.

Dario noticed the look Manny gave him. "What are you even doing here with Sonny? What are you trying to pull?"

Manny motioned to Sonny. "I was just getting to know the guy. No harm done."

Sonny watched as Manny and Dario went back and forth. He did not understand why Dario felt the need to get in the way of him talking to the guy. "What is your problem, Dario?"

Dario realized he really had no say in Sonny's life since he had purposely avoided him since Sonny's confession. "Look, I was just worried about you."

Sonny noticed that Dario could not even look him in the eyes. "Do me a favor and stop worrying. Stop getting in the way when you don't even want to be a part of my life." Sonny turned to Manny trying to hide how upset he was. "I'm sorry, but I have to go. It was nice meeting you." Sonny walked out without his drink.

Manny gave Dario an annoyed look. "You made a huge mistake. I can see it in your eyes. You're not supposed to fall in love with guys, you're just supposed to have fun with them." Manny put his arm on Dario's shoulder. "Fuck them… but never fall in love."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Dario responded as he pushed Manny's arm off of him. He knew what Manny was saying, but did not like what he implied. To throw his brother off, he decided to tell Manny why he was there. "I'm meeting my girlfriend here later. Leave me alone." Dario headed to the barista to make an order.

Manny shook his head at his brother, but decided that maybe he was wrong about Sonny and Dario. He was happy to know that Dario was spending time with his girlfriend. Manny decided he needed to report back about Sonny. He looked back at his brother one more time before leaving.

* * *

><p>Chad sat on a park bench with the small package as he waited for the guy to show up. He looked at his watch and wondered where the guy was. He wanted to get out of there because he could not stop thinking about Will and had nothing to distract him. He thought about how Will dared him to kiss him outside of Chez Rouge. He realized it was the first dare he never fulfilled and wondered if he ever would. He thought back to EJ and Sami's vows when he realized he did not love Abigail. Even though he knew he did not love her, he figured she would be the best way to have the life he always wanted.<p>

Gabi walked up and realized Chad was sitting on the bench. "Chad. I'm sorry to walk up on you like this." Gabi looked down feeling a bit embarrassed. "I walked out here because I hoped to find Will out here. I know he comes out here a lot to think," she admitted.

Chad remembered talking to Will on the same bench awhile back. He realized why Will was so depressed before. Will did not want to be gay. He turned to Gabi hoping that Will would not become suicidal again. "You can have a seat if you want."

Gabi took a seat next to Chad feeling a bit awkward. "So how is Will doing?"

"I honestly don't know, but I'm starting to worry." Chad thought about how Abigail told him what happened when Gabi found out Will was gay. He wanted to hear about her experience from her though. "How did you deal when you found out Will was gay?"

Thinking about the whole ordeal caused Gabi to take a deep breath. "It was heartbreaking and I never cried so much in my life." She thought about how Rafe's death did not help matters.

Chad began to picture Abigail going through the same thing. He did not want that to happen to her. Chad did not like entertaining the thought that he would even consider being gay. "I'm sorry you went through that." Before Gabi could tell Chad that she was able to heal over time, Chad spotted the guy finally walking up. He stood up. "You should probably go."

Confused, Gabi stood up. "Okay. I guess I'll talk to you later." After Gabi left to find Will, Chad walked over to the guy to make the delivery.


	52. Chapter 52 Manipulation

**Chapter 52: Manipulation – Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011**

Kate arrived at the Salem Inn to talk to Lucas. When Lucas let his mother in, he closed the door behind him. "What brings you over today? Do we need to discuss business?"

Kate wanted to avoid this conversation altogether, but she promised Will she would try to get through to Lucas. "Lucas, I came here to talk about your son."

Even though he knew what Kate wanted to talk to him about, he played dumb. "What about him?"

Kate knew Lucas was only playing dumb. "You know good and well what it is. Lucas, you need to accept that your son is gay and move forward with all of this."

Lucas hated talking about Will's homosexuality. "I don't understand how Will can just accept it and live his life as a gay man. Why would anyone want that?"

Kate placed her hand on Lucas's shoulder. "Son, we have been down this road before. You made your decision, and I tried to support you in your decision. I helped you anyway I could. I told no one about your struggle." Kate thought back to when she bribed Nicole to marry Lucas. As she continued, Kate made Lucas look at her, "Do you want Will to end up like you? Do you want Will to be unhappy in his life? … because when I look at you all I see is regret, and I will admit that I have some fault, but you need to realize this is not about you."

"Of course this is about me. I have to help Will through this. I know what he needs to do, but he won't do it." Lucas sat on his bed annoyed. "And to set things straight I am happy. You may not see it, but I love Hong Kong and it's been good to me. Salem just brings back bad memories.

Kate took a seat next to him. "Lucas, you came to Salem because you knew Will was in a bad place. You came here to show Will that you love him and are always here for him even though you live in Hong Kong." Kate placed her hand on Lucas's back. "You have fought yourself over this your whole life and now you expect your son to do the same. Stop trying to dictate how your son lives his life." Kate knew her statement was quite hypocritical, but she would never admit it. "Man up, Lucas. Allow your son to do something you could never do. Allow him to accept himself and live his life!"

* * *

><p>After making the delivery, Chad returned to the Dimera Mansion. He found his father in the living room pouring himself a drink. Chad walked over and patted Stefano on the back. "I've returned, father. The package has been delivered."<p>

Stefano turned happy to see his son. "Oh, good. Were there any complications?"

"Nope. I did exactly as you asked." Chad smiled back at his father. He liked seeing Stefano happy.

Stefano looked Chad over and saw that his hands were empty. He scratched the side of his head. "Where is the money?"

Chad gave Stefano a puzzled look. "Money? What money? I did not know I was supposed to receive money in exchange for the package."

Stefano quickly became serious. He slammed his drink down as he yelled at Chad. "I cannot believe you delivered that package and let that man get away with the money." Stefano pulled out his phone to make a call. "I'm going to have to send Marco to fix your mess."

Chad stepped back as Stefano laid into him. "I'm so sorry. I did not know."

As Stefano dialed Marco's number, Stefano glanced up at Chad. "Take a break. Take the rest of the day off to think about your mistake. I don't want you to mess anything else up." Stefano put the phone to his ear and threw his hand at Chad to dismiss him.

Feeling horrible, Chad apologized again before heading up to his room.

* * *

><p>After arriving at Java Café, Melanie spotted Dario and took a seat across from him. She could not believe that it had been more than a week since they had talked about their relationship. She wondered if they both came to the same conclusion. "Hey," Melanie softly greeted Dario.<p>

Dario turned towards the barista. "Do you want something to eat? I can buy."

Melanie shook her head. "No. I'm good, thanks." Melanie glanced at Dario while she played with her fingernails. "So we're going to be completely honest, right?"

Dario nodded his head. "Yeah. Completely honest."

"I guess I'll go first then." Melanie looked down at her hands as she started, "You were right. I did change on you when we became a couple. I think I might have even changed on you before that." She looked up as she continued, "Even though I can have fun with you, there are times I wish that I could be with Nathan as I've seen a different side of him I forgot existed."

Dario looked down as he remembered his conversation with Nathan earlier. "I knew you were just settling for me."

"How did you know?"

Dario thought back to the scene with Sonny in the Penthouse Grille bathroom. He remembered the look in Sonny's eyes. Melanie had never looked at him in the same way. Even though he promised Melanie they would be completely honest, he knew he could not tell her about Sonny. "I could just see it in your eyes."

Melanie took Dario's hand. "I'm so sorry that this did not work out."

"Me, too." Dario hated letting go of Melanie, but he knew it was the right thing for the both of them. "But it's the way life goes…" Trying to reassure her, he continued, "I want you to be happy with Nathan."

Melanie took her hand from Dario's hand. She looked to the side as she wondered what would happen next. "I don't even know if Nathan still wants me after I rejected him again."

Dario looked Melanie in the eyes hoping he could make her feel better about their situation. "I'm sure he does. He would be a fool to ever get over you."

Melanie smiled at Dario's sweetness. She felt bad that she could not give her all to him. "Will you be okay?"

"I'll probably be alone forever, but don't worry about me. I'm a survivor." Dario smiled back at Melanie hoping she would just let him go.

* * *

><p>Will arrived back to his apartment and found Sonny sitting on the couch. "Hey, have you been here long?"<p>

"I've been here for a bit." Sonny stood up. "I just finished dinner. Are you hungry?"

"Sure. I could eat." Will smiled at Sonny. He was glad to have him as a roommate and friend.

After taking a seat at the table with their food, Sonny remembered that he never brought Will back something from Java Café. "Sorry I forgot to bring you something to drink. Things got crazy when I was at Java."

"What happened?" Will asked before taking a bite of spaghetti.

Sonny put his fork down. "I met this cute guy and we flirted a bit. Then out of nowhere Dario walks in and chews the guy out. I've never seen him so upset."

Will questioned why Dario would be upset at all. "Why would Dario react that way?"

Sonny realized he might have said too much. "I am not sure." Sonny wondered if Dario was jealous. Sonny realized that Dario and Manny had similar features. "Maybe they're related…"

Will still questioned Dario's behavior to himself. He looked to the door when he heard a knock. "I'll get it." As Will answered the door, Sonny wondered if he would have to make another plate of food.

After being invited in, Gabi walked into the apartment and spotted Sonny as he walked in from the kitchen. She turned to Will ignoring Sonny for a moment. "I was hoping I could talk to you, Will."

Will looked her over. "Of course. What do you want to talk about?" Will was surprised that Gabi came over to talk to him.

Gabi placed her hand on Will's cheek. "I wanted to let you know that I forgive you." She turned to Sonny as well. "I forgive you, too."

Will and Sonny thanked her for forgiving them after apologizing again. Sonny walked closer to Gabi. "You want some spaghetti?"

"No, I'm fine, thanks. I just came here to tell you that I hope that we all can be friends." Gabi thought about her next comment. "I also wanted to tell you that I am praying for you two because you guys are living in sin."

Sonny became defensive but held back. "No we're not. How can you say that?"

Feeling that Sonny was a lost cause, Gabi turned her back on Sonny and placed her hand on Will's cheek again. Looking Will straight in the eyes, she told him, "Will, don't waste your life away for something that will never make you happy. I'm here as a friend and I don't want to see you waste your life away." Gabi kissed Will on the cheek and left.

Sonny locked the door behind her and turned to find Will silently sitting on the couch. Sonny hurried over to Will's side. "She got to you, didn't she? Don't listen to her. We are not living in sin. I hope you know that."

Will slowly looked up at Sonny. "Whether or not Gabi is right on the sin issue, she was right about one thing." Depression hit Will hard as he thought about his situation with Chad. "I'll never be happy being gay because I'll never get what I want."

* * *

><p>Kate and Stefano sat in the dining room of the Dimera Mansion enjoying dinner together alone. After taking a sip of her wine, she placed her hand on top of Stefano's hand. "My love… I have been thinking…"<p>

Stefano playfully rolled his eyes and smiled. "Should I worry?"

Knowing Stefano was only messing with her, Kate smiled and continued, "Chad has been working really hard this week. I think he should be rewarded."

Stefano stopped eating to give his full attention to Kate. "What did you have in mind?"

Kate thought about her new plan to get Will and Chad together. "I think you should let Chad take the yacht out for a week of sailing. He could use a vacation."

Stefano shook his head at Kate as he thought her suggestion was ludicrous. "Chad messed up today. I'm not sure he should be rewarded at all."

"Stefano, you know everyone makes mistakes." Kate needed to convince Stefano to let Chad go if she wanted Chad and Will to be together. "It would be nice if you okayed this. I'm sure Chad would appreciate the time off as he's worked harder this week with EJ gone."

Stefano knew Kate had a point. "I'll think about it," he replied as he continued eating.

* * *

><p>At the Horton House, Abigail and Chad sat on the couch after grabbing a bite to eat. Chad thought about his dispute with Stefano earlier wishing he had done things right. Chad felt like he was losing at everything. Abigail noticed Chad was somewhere else. "What are you thinking?"<p>

Chad looked down to Abigail. "I had a rough day today with Stefano. I don't know what to do."

Abigail smiled inside because she hoped that meant that Chad and Stefano were at odds with each other. She also liked that Chad called him Stefano instead of father. She hoped Chad would just walk away from his family. It would make things easier for both of them. She hid her joy from Chad as she rubbed his arm. "I'm sorry."

Abigail moved in closer to Chad to cuddle with him. As he placed his arm around Abigail, Chad began to think about cuddling with Will in his bed. Chad tried to psych himself out by focusing on the positives of being with Abigail. He thought to himself, "I want Abigail. She is beautiful and with her I can have kids." Chad began to think about Grace and how he lost his chance on getting to know her. He did not want to lose out on not being able to have any more kids.

Nathan arrived and immediately spotted Abigail and Chad on the couch. "Hey guys."

Chad and Abigail stopped cuddling and turned to face Nathan. "Hey Nathan. Getting home from work?" Chad asked.

Nathan walked into the living room. "Yeah. It was slow today, which is good news I guess." Nathan wondered if Chad and Will were still talking. "How is Will? Do you know?"

Annoyed that Nathan brought up Will, Abigail sat up to answer for Chad. "Chad and Will aren't really talking anymore."

Nathan looked at Chad to see what he had to say, but Chad did not respond. Nathan frowned as he continued, "That's too bad, Chad. It's a shame that you and Will are not talking because you two seemed really close."

Abigail wondered what Nathan was doing. "Could we please have some privacy?"

Nathan took the hint and put his hands up. "I'm going. Sorry for interrupting."

After Nathan left, Abigail tried to cuddle with Chad, but Chad stood up. Looking up at Chad, Abigail wondered if Nathan upset the mood. "Are you thirsty?"

Chad turned to face Abigail. "Nah. I think I should head home. I have to get up super early to make up for my mistake. Hopefully my dad will forgive me."

Abigail stood up and kissed Chad trying to push back her frustration. "Okay. I guess I'll talk to you tomorrow. Sleep well."

Chad gave Abigail a hug. "Goodnight."


	53. Chapter 53 Hear Me

**Chapter 53: Hear Me Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011**

While Manny secretly looked through Dario's phone, Gabi and Dario talked by the fridge at their apartment. "Did Kate call you earlier to invite you to Chad's belated 21st birthday trip?"

"Yeah, she did." Dario did not know what to make of the trip.

"Are you going?" Gabi asked. "I think I am going."

"I'm not sure. A week-long yacht trip sounds long." Dario wondered if he would have the time to go. He also wondered who would be there.

Manny placed Dario's phone back on the end table as he walked over to Dario and Gabi. "I think it would be good for you two to take a week's vacation. You guys need to get away from Salem." Manny wanted more details about the trip. He wondered if he could use the trip to help him with his plan.

Gabi began to shake Dario to make him go. "Why wouldn't you go?"

Dario thought about how awkward it could be. He also thought about the idea of getting out of Salem, which would be nice. "Do you know who else is going?"

Gabi remembered Kate asking for a few numbers. "I think Kate was calling most of the group. I know she called or will be calling Melanie, Sonny, Will, and T. She's probably calling others as well. Why? Does that decide whether you will go or not?"

Dario looked down. "Melanie and I broke up. I don't know if I could take on a trip like that."

"What? What happened?" Gabi thought about it and realized Dario and Melanie really had not hung out in a while.

"It just didn't work out, so I let her go," Dario admitted.

Gabi gave Dario a disappointed look. "You let her go? What were you thinking?"

Manny shook his head at his brother believing that he broke up with Melanie because of Sonny. "You are a fool if you let her go."

"You guys don't get it. She did not love me!" Dario moved over to the couch annoyed.

Gabi decided to back off because she could see how upset Dario was about it. "I'm sorry, Dario." She grabbed her phone to look at the time. "I'm supposed to hang out with Abigail. I think you should still go on the trip – at least come for me." Dario did not respond or look back at Gabi. Gabi decided to leave.

After Gabi left, Manny walked over to the couch and took a seat next to Dario. "Digame. Tell me the truth about why you broke up with Melanie."

Dario gave Manny an annoyed look. "I already told you… Melanie did not love me."

Manny did not fully buy Dario's excuse. "Are you sure it wasn't the other way around? Did you break up with Melanie because you wanted to be with Sonny?"

Dario stood up. "No. I don't love Sonny. I'm not gay!" Dario headed to his room. "I have to get ready for work."

* * *

><p>At the Dimera Mansion, Kate finished talking to T about the trip when Stefano walked in overhearing the last bit of the conversation. Stefano became suspicious of Kate. "What are you doing?"<p>

Kate smiled at Stefano as she thought about how she changed her plan a bit so that Stefano would have more incentive to allow Chad to take that week-long vacation on the yacht. "I'm calling all of Chad's friends to invite them to Chad's Yacht Party. You know we never gave Chad a birthday party."

Stefano remembered his conversation with Kate the night before, but gave Kate a skeptical look when she mentioned Chad's birthday. "That's because Chad asked us not to throw him one. Why throw one now when his birthday is in March?"

"Have you noticed anything odd about Chad lately? Aren't you a bit curious as to why Chad messed up yesterday?" Kate wanted Stefano to worry.

Stefano had noticed Chad's mood seemed different since EJ and Sami left for their honeymoon. "Do you know?"

"I've noticed that he's been down, but I don't know why," she lied. "I think we should be concerned and do whatever it takes to lift his spirits. A nice birthday surprise like this could make him feel loved."

Stefano rubbed his chin before answering. "Okay. You have my blessing. You can plan this trip and I will pay for everything."

"Thank you, my love." Kate kissed Stefano pleased that her plan worked as the doorbell rang.

Stefano decided to answer the door as he was expecting someone. Surprised to see Nathan on the other side, he questioned if he came by accident. "Dr. Horton, what can I do for you?"

"Mr. Dimera, I was wondering if I could talk to Chad." Nathan tried to hide his nerves about being at the Dimera Mansion.

"You can head upstairs. His room is on the end to the left." Stefano let Nathan in so he could talk to Chad. He questioned why Nathan needed to talk to Chad.

* * *

><p>Will and Sonny sat on the couch at their apartment after getting off work. Sonny looked over at Will and noticed that Will still seemed down about what Gabi said to him the day before. "We've both had bad luck with our love lives, so let's make a deal."<p>

Will sat up and looked over at Sonny. "Deal? What kind?"

"If we don't find anyone by the time we're 25, we'll marry each other. We can go to New York now. You'd love it there." Sonny smiled at Will hoping he would feel better about life.

Will laughed at Sonny's suggestion. "Sounds like a plan. Who knows… maybe by then we could get married in Salem."

Sonny scoffed at the idea. "I won't hold my breath." Sonny shook his head as he laughed. "Can you imagine being married to each other?"

"Well, I think we make good roommates… wouldn't it be similar to what it's like now… you cook and I bring home the bacon?" Will winked at Sonny as he laughed.

Sonny punched Will's arm. "Hey. I would not be the wife in the relationship! I'm the breadwinner. I'm a Kiriakis!"

Will laughed some more. "We might have a problem then." Will thought about Chad and groaned as he hit his head on the back of the couch. "Why do we have such bad luck with getting what we want?"

Sonny thought about Dario and shook his head. "I don't know. I wish things were different. I wish the guys we love loved us back."

Will turned to face Sonny. "So are you ever going to tell me who you're in love with?"

Sonny did not want to make things worse for him and Dario. "I don't want to jinx it," he lied. He knew that he and Dario were out of the realm of possibilities.

Will squeezed Sonny's arm that laid next to him. "I understand that. It seems that I've jinxed any chance with Chad as everyone seems to know that I'm into him." Will let go of Sonny's arm when he heard a knock on the door. As Will got up to answer the door, Sonny received a text message. Surprised to see his father, Will immediately let him come in. "Dad… what are you doing here?"

Lucas wiped his hands on the side of his legs. "I wanted to talk to you." Lucas nervously glanced at Sonny.

Sonny got up after reading the text. "I have to go anyway as someone asked me to meet up with him now." Sonny made his way to Will. "I'll see you later at the Cheatin' Heart for dinner with my parents."

After Sonny left, Lucas turned to Will as he thought about his conversation with Kate. "Will, I have to apologize to you for the way I responded when I found out you were gay."

"Dad…"

Lucas held his hand up because he knew if he stopped now, he would not be able to tell Will the truth. "Let me finish first. There's something you need to know." Lucas took a deep breath before continuing. "You know when I told you I knew guys that struggled with their sexuality? I was one of them. I struggled with my sexuality growing up, so my response was based on my own experience," Lucas admitted.

Will could not believe his father's confession. He walked over to the couch and took a seat to let it sink in. "You did?" He looked up to his father for confirmation.

* * *

><p>Chad laid on his bed cuddling with his pillow trying to sleep his thoughts away. Unfortunately for him, his thoughts would not let him take a nap. Chad wondered if he should get a new bed because he could still feel Will's presence anytime he laid on it. Hearing a knock on the door, Chad sat up on his bed and yelled, "Come in." He wondered who wanted to talk to him.<p>

Nathan walked in. "Did I wake you?"

Chad frowned. "I wish. What's up?"

"I wanted to finish our conversation from last night. I'm on my way to work, so I have a few minutes if you're cool with talking about Will." Nathan took a seat next to Chad's bed.

Chad figured talking about Will might help him move on from thinking about him all the time. "Yeah, sure. I told you last night that Will and I are no longer talking. Have you talked to him?"

"Not this week." Nathan did not understand why Will and Chad stopped talking. "I think it's sad that you and Will stopped talking. I think that you should try to fix whatever is going on, so that you guys can be there for each other."

Chad thought about approaching Will. "Honestly, I don't know how to fix things. Things are different." Chad looked down and then to Nathan. "Will told me he's gay and that he loves me. I don't know what to do with that. I wish he would have told me all of this sooner. He kept shutting down on me and leaving me in the dark."

"He did tell you before, Chad," Nathan shared. "You two broke my rule about no homo stuff in the tent when you two shared a sleeping bag," Nathan joked hoping Chad would feel more comfortable about talking about Will's confession. He awkward continued as Chad did not respond to his joke, "He told you that first night in the tent during our camping trip. I guess you fell asleep and did not hear him." Nathan watched as Chad lowered his head probably wishing he did not fall asleep. "Do you love Will?"

Chad sat up straight when he heard Nathan's question. Trying to deny that he could be gay, Chad answered, "I love him as a friend."

Nathan thought about his conversation with Chad about Abigail during the camping trip. "You said that you could not really picture a future with Abigail. Can you picture a future with Will?"

"I can't answer that." Chad probably could have answered the question, but decided not to as he did not want anyone to think he was gay.

Nathan looked at the time. "I have to go, but some advice… Fix things with Will because whether it's a friendship or more, what you and Will have is real. There's no hidden agenda there. He's been honest with you." Nathan felt bad for Chad as he seemed so down about the situation. He hoped that he got through to Chad.

* * *

><p>Sonny arrived at the Hudson Diner and spotted Manny sitting at a table. He took a seat across from him and smiled. "Hey. I got your text. How did you get my number?"<p>

Manny smiled. "I got it from Dario. You probably figured out that I'm his brother after that run in at Java Café. I'm sorry for the scene he made by the way." Manny looked down. "Is it weird knowing that I'm Dario's brother?" Manny asked the question because he wanted to know if Sonny was into Dario.

"No. It doesn't bother me." Sonny remembered Gabi telling him that she had three brothers like he did. He wondered why he did not put two and two together sooner. "So why did you decide to come to Salem?"

"Well, after Rafe died, I figured that I would come over to check on Gabi and Dario to make sure they were okay. I also needed to find work." Manny tried to be as vague as possible when answering questions. "What do you do in Salem?"

"I have an internship at Salem University Hospital. I'm going to Salem U in the fall." Sonny noticed that Manny seemed really interested in what he had to say. "I'm hoping to be a doctor even though dad wanted me to be a lawyer. I'm also trying to avoid going into the business world with my great-uncle even though I'm sure he wished I would so that he could control my every move." Sonny realized he was saying too much. "I'm probably boring you. I'm sorry."

Manny smiled at Sonny. "You're really cute."

Sonny tried not to blush as he smiled. "I think you're cute as well," he admitted as he got a text. He read it over and gave Manny a sad look. "I have to go."

Manny grabbed Sonny's hand. "We should hang out again. I think we can have a lot of fun together."

Sonny smiled believing he had finally met someone who was interested and agreed. "Sounds good. Now that we have each other's numbers we can text."

"I'll text you later." Manny smiled as he stood up with Sonny to say goodbye. After Sonny left, Manny headed to the bathroom to make a phone call. When the other person answered, Manny said, "I think we have our in on hurting Victor Kiriakis."

* * *

><p>Back at Will and Sonny's apartment, Will and Lucas continued their talk on the couch. Lucas put his hand on Will's back. "I want you to be happy no matter what you decide to do."<p>

Will still could not believe his dad had struggled with his sexuality. "I probably won't choose the same path as you." Will wondered if his father had suppressed his feelings all these years. "You know it's never too late for you."

Lucas nervously laughed at Will's suggestion. "Will, I made my decision and I'm enjoying the single life for now. I promise you that for me it was just a phase even though your mother and grandmother think the opposite." Wanting to put the focus back on Will, Lucas admitted, "Your mother told me about Chad before she left for her honeymoon."

"She did?" Will wondered what his dad thought of the situation.

Lucas hoped he could teach Will something through his experience. "Part of the reason my relationships never worked was either due to the lack of love or me not believing in love. I really messed things up with your mother as I truly loved her." Lucas looked into his son's eyes. "Love is really all you need. If you have love, the rest will be taken care of."

Will smiled at his father's advice and change of heart, but he did not know if he believed in love anymore.


	54. Chapter 54 Meet Me Halfway

**Chapter 54: Meet Me Halfway – Wednesday, August 3rd 2011**

Melanie and Nathan ran into each other in the locker room at the hospital to start their shift. He had not seen her since talking to Dario. He wondered how Dario and Melanie's talk went last night. Trying to start small talk with Melanie, Nathan turned to her and asked, "Did Kate tell you about that surprise trip for Chad next week?"

Melanie closed the locker after putting her stuff inside. She thought about how Dario gave his blessing for her to get back with Nathan. "Yeah. She called me earlier and I almost did not pick up. I thought she was going to talk to me about Philip. Did she call you today?"

"Actually, I stopped by to talk to Chad and before I left she told me about it." Nathan finished putting his things in the locker and closed it.

"Are you going?" Melanie tried not to make eye contact with Nathan because she feared he would be able to see right through her.

"It sounds like a good time and I have a lot of vacation days to spare as I haven't had to ask for a day off since I moved back." Nathan could not believe that summer was almost over. "Are you?"

Melanie smiled. "Yeah. I'm glad you're going." Melanie began to mess with her fingernails. "I ended things with Dario last night." She nervously made eye contact with Nathan as she could no longer hide how she felt about him.

Nathan looked into her eyes debating whether he should just come out with his feelings. Seeing the look in her eyes, Nathan knew it was not too soon. "I still love you, Melanie. I never stopped."

Melanie wanted to look down at her hands, but did not want Nathan to think she did not feel the same. "I settled for Dario because I idolized you as this perfect guy I did not deserve. I have always been afraid that I could never live up to your expectations."

Nathan placed his hand on Melanie's cheek and rubbed it with his thumb. "Every time I see you, you surpass my expectations."

A tear fell out of Melanie's eyes. "I love you, Nathan. I'm sorry that I hurt you so many times."

Wiping the tear off of Melanie's face, Nathan replied, "Just don't leave me alone again." Nathan pulled her into a kiss after Melanie agreed.

* * *

><p>Heading downstairs from his room, Chad made his way to the living room where his father was waiting for him. "You wanted to talk to me?" Chad asked somewhat nervous.<p>

Stefano smiled at Chad to show he was no longer angry at him. "I wanted to tell you in person that I got everything straightened out with the exchange. We got double the money for the mistake."

Relieved, Chad smiled. "That's good."

Stefano put his arm around Chad's back. "Even though you made a mistake yesterday, it all worked out in the end. I know that you have worked harder this week to try to fill your brother's shoes, but he's had years of experience. You're just now getting in the game." Stefano let go of Chad so he could face him. "That's why I'm treating you."

Chad nervously smiled as he wondered if his dad bought him something else. "Treating me?"

Stefano realized he spoke too soon as he remembered Kate saying the trip was a surprise. He knew he needed to cover. "I'm giving you the week off next week after Elvis and Sami return." Stefano decided to only tell him part of the surprise. Stefano's phone began to ring and he looked to see who was calling. "Speaking of your brother…" Stefano turned to Chad. "We can finish our conversation later."

"Okay."

Stefano answered, "Elvis. … The kids are fine. They really miss you and Samantha."

Chad watched his father for a moment before heading for his room again. He wondered if his dad was giving him the week off because Stefano thought he deserved a break or because he wanted Chad to take a break for his mistake. Chad wondered if he would ever be able to please his father.

* * *

><p>Not knowing that Nathan went to work, Kate headed to the Horton House to talk to him about some special instructions she had for him during the trip. As she made her way to the front door, Abigail and Gabi walked out on their way to get coffee at Java Café. After spotting Kate walking up, Abigail gave her a look. "Thanks for not inviting me to Chad's surprise birthday trip. You do realize that I'm his girlfriend and that his birthday was 5 months ago to the day, right?"<p>

Gabi felt awkward for letting it slip as she assumed Kate would have told Abigail about the trip. Will's grandmother always made her nervous. "I assumed you invited Abigail, so I talked to her about it."

Kate smiled and shook her head at Abigail even though she hoped to avoid this. "I came over here to invite you personally as I wanted to talk to you and Nathan in person about the trip," she covered.

Abigail did not trust Kate. "Right. Well, Nathan's not here. He's at work."

"You don't have to believe me. That's your prerogative." Kate rolled her eyes as she continued. "It's a week-long and the yacht sails out Sunday night."

Jennifer had arrived to the house earlier and overheard Kate describing the trip as she walked over. She turned to Kate. "Can I talk to you about this trip for Chad?"

Kate smiled and nodded. "Sure."

Jennifer turned to Abigail and Gabi. "Where are you two headed?"

"We're going to Java Café for coffee. We also wanted to get out of the house. I'll be back later." Abigail turned around and left with Gabi.

Jennifer pulled the keys out of her purse to unlock the door. "I promise not to take too much of your time, but I would like to know what Abigail will be doing on this trip."

Kate followed Jennifer into the house. "Of course." Kate sensed Jennifer did not like the idea of Abigail going on the trip. She wondered if she should try to scare Jennifer so that Abigail could not go. "Do you not want her to go?"

"Oh… she can go. It's just that sometimes I feel better about things when I know more." Jennifer put her purse down and thought about how she still did not feel comfortable about Chad and Abigail's relationship. She believed Abigail was making a mistake with Chad. "So who is going?"

Kate looked up as she thought about who she had invited so far. "Chad, Will, Gabi, her brother, Abigail, Will's friend T, Melanie, Sonny, and Nathan."

"Sonny and Nathan are going?" Jennifer watched as Kate nodded her head. "That makes me feel better already. It sounds like a good group." Jennifer thought about Abigail being on a yacht for a week. "Where will they be sleeping?"

Kate realized she should not have mentioned Sonny and Nathan as it seemed to make Jennifer feel more comfortable about Abigail going on the trip. "There are three bedrooms on the yacht. There's a master bedroom, then there's another room that's a little smaller, and then the last room is smaller than the other, but they're all spacious." Kate wondered why Jennifer was curious about the rooms. "Is there a reason you wanted to know?"

Jennifer let out a nervous laugh. "This is kind of awkward, but I'm curious about the rooming arrangements. Will they be split up in any certain way?" Jennifer did not want Chad and Abigail in the same room every night as she did not want any accidents to happen.

"What do you mean?" Kate asked playing dumb.

"I know that this is a lot to ask, but is there any way that you could designate guys' and girls' rooms?" Jennifer knew her request was on the conservative side of things.

"That's no problem. I'm glad you mentioned that. We don't want the group coming back with extra people." Kate smiled and winked at Jennifer. "I'll make sure everyone knows." Kate loved that Jennifer asked her to do this as she wanted to ask Nathan to make sure that Chad and Will shared the same room. Her plan was working better than expected.

* * *

><p>At the Cheatin' Heart, Justin, Adrienne, Sonny, and Will enjoyed dinner as they talked about the apartment. "So things are going well with the apartment still?" Justin asked as he put a fry in his mouth.<p>

"Yep. It took some adjusting, but it seems things are good now." Sonny smiled and looked at Will to see what he thought.

"Yeah. Sonny's a good roommate and he picked a great place. I'm finally setting up my room on how I want it to look." Will smiled at Sonny.

"When are you going to have a house-warming party?" Adrienne asked. "Wait… please don't tell me you two already had one and did not invite us because we're old." Adrienne winked at Sonny and Will.

Everyone laughed. "We haven't had one. Maybe we'll have one after we get back from that trip." Sonny looked at Will. "What do you think?"

"Yeah. That could be fun, but it might be packed if we invited everyone." Will thought about how Sonny left earlier to meet up with someone. "Who did you go out with earlier?"

Sonny smiled as he thought about Manny. "I met a new guy."

Justin and Adrienne immediately looked over as it seemed Sonny had met a potential boyfriend. As he walked over to deliver a few drinks, Dario overheard Sonny mention that he met a new guy and felt better knowing that Sonny was able to move on.

Adrienne started with the questions. "So how did you meet this new guy?"

"I met him at the coffee shop. He seems really nice and sweet, but I have to warn you… he's older than me." Sonny worried his parents would have a problem with that.

Before anyone could respond, Will got a text. After reading it, he looked up at everyone. "I'm sorry, but I need to go. Please excuse me."

"Is everything okay?" Justin asked as Will stood up to leave.

"I think so. Again, I'm sorry to do this, but it's important." Will got up, walked by Dario, and left.

Having heard Sonny describe the new guy, Dario realized Sonny was referring to his brother, Manny. Dario headed back to the bar and wondered if Manny was up to something. Dario felt bad for thinking the worst of his brother since they were always close, but things seemed different now.

* * *

><p>At Java Café, Abigail and Gabi decided to order sandwiches and chips with their coffees. Sitting at a table near the cash register, Abigail and Gabi discussed Chad's belated birthday trip. "So you doubt Kate really wanted to invite you?"<p>

"Oh, I'm sure of it. She has tried time and time again to break me and Chad up." Abigail shook her head. "One day she'll have to realize that Chad and I will always be together and just drop her schemes."

As the girls continued to talk about what they were going to bring on the trip, Josh walked in to pass out a few fliers about a gig he had this weekend. He spotted Gabi and Abigail and walked over. "Hey girls." He handed each a flier. "I'm going to DJ at Club Dune on Friday night. You should come if you can."

Gabi remembered the last time she saw Josh. She smiled and winked at Abigail. "That's really cool. I'll see if T wants to come."

"I already talked to him. He's going to be there." Josh turned to Abigail. "Do you think you'll make it?"

"Maybe." Abigail did not want to commit to anything.

Josh tried to convince her by flashing a smile. "Come on. You know you want to have fun. I wish we could hang out more."

Abigail looked down trying not to blush. "Yeah. I've been busy with things… sorry."

Josh leaned on the table as he held the fliers under his arm. "I wish you never moved away in high school because we might still be together now."

Abigail felt a bit uncomfortable as she thought about being with Josh instead of Chad. "I don't know about that. I have a boyfriend right now that I am really into."

Josh stood up and grabbed the fliers from under his arm. "I know. I was just saying. If Chad ever breaks your heart look me up." Josh headed over to pass more fliers out.

Abigail took a deep breath and moved in closer to tell Gabi a secret. "Josh was my first. I slept with him before I moved away." She watched Josh for a second as she questioned if she would ever get over her first love.

Sitting at a table by the door, Kate witnessed the whole exchange as she had followed the girls over after talking to Jennifer. Josh headed out the door and she followed him. "Excuse me. Can I see one of your fliers?"

Josh looked Kate over and wondered why she was interested in his flier, but figured it would be okay if she had one. "Sure."

Kate looked the flier over and smiled. "You're an entertainer." Josh nodded his head. "I have a proposition for you. Do you have plans for next week?" Kate put her arms around Josh and led him away from Java Café so that Abigail and Gabi would not see her with him.

* * *

><p>Will arrived at the Dimera Mansion after receiving Chad's text. Once Chad opened the door and let him in, Will struggled to keep his excitement in check as he wondered why Chad invited him over. "You asked me to come?"<p>

Chad led Will to the living room, which was empty. "Yeah, I thought it was time that we talked about Saturday night."

Will's excitement mixed with his nerves as he tried not to look Chad in the eyes. "Yeah. I told you how I felt and I still feel that way. I'm sorry if that's a problem."

Chad hated seeing Will so down. "Will, I didn't ask you over here for an apology. I asked you over because I want to tell you that I don't know how I feel. I'm really confused, but I do know that I want to be a part of your life."

Will saw fear in Chad's eyes. "What are you afraid of?"

Chad walked over to pour himself a drink not wanting to answer Will's question. "You want something? I won't card you," he tried to joke to relieve the tension.

Will walked over to Chad and stopped him from drinking. "No. Don't. Just tell me what you're thinking. Tell me what you feel about me. The good… the bad… I want to know everything."

"It's not necessarily either of those. I don't know." Chad wanted to drink to help him relax, but knew it would get in the way of what he needed to say to Will. "Growing up I always wanted a big family. I always told myself I would have lots of kids because I never wanted my kids to experience what I experienced as an only child. You heard my speech at the reception. I longed for a brother or a sister. I attached myself to friends or cousins and thought I understood what it felt like to have siblings, but the truth is they all had brothers and sisters of their own, so they never felt the same about me."

Will wanted to hold Chad as he could hear sadness in his voice, but did not want Chad to feel uncomfortable. "Go on."

"I think the reason we connected so well after what happened with Mia is because you were the first person I felt a real connection with. You were like a brother to me. Every time we saw each other I felt loved and cared for." Chad watched Will to see what he thought about his statement.

Disappointed that he had misread their closeness, Will felt bad for possibly ruining their relationship because he wanted more. "Do you still feel that way?"

"No," Chad admitted making Will regret his feelings even more. Chad felt the pull to Will again. "My feelings for EJ and Lexie are completely different from what I feel for you. I think I love you more." Chad stepped back after confessing his feelings and wondered where that came from. "I don't know why I said that… I'm so confused."

Hearing Chad say that he loved him differently than his brother and sister made Will's heart skip a beat. Hearing that Chad loved him more made his heart stop. Will grabbed Chad's hands and moved closer to him. He forgot his promise to Abigail. He wanted Chad to realize they could still have everything he wanted. "It's going to be okay, Chad. We can still have a big family. We can have a surrogate or adopt kids. We can be together."

Chad looked into Will's eyes and began to feel at peace. "Say it."

Will smiled, but still gave Chad a strange look. "Say what? That I love you? I love you."

Chad shook his head. "No. I pick dare. Truth or Dare… I pick dare."

"I dare you to kiss m…"

Before Will could complete his dare, Chad pulled Will into a passionate kiss. Both closed their eyes as they were in the moment and all was good. Chad wrapped his hands around Will's jaw as he pulled him closer. He forgot all the things that told him this was wrong.

"What the hell is going on here?" Stefano furiously screamed as he saw the two kissing. "What in God's name do you think you two are doing?"

Chad and Will quickly separated and looked at Stefano in fear.


	55. Chapter 55 Can't Say

**Chapter 55: Can't Say – Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011-Thursday, August 4th, 2011**

Kate walked through the park to get to her car and remembered what happened the last time she walked through the park. She wished she had asked her assistant Chris to walk her to her car after her late night meeting with him and Lucas at the Salem Inn. She jumped when she saw someone running towards her.

Will was running through the park trying to clear his mind about what happened earlier when he spotted Kate walking alone. He made his way over. "Grandma, what are you doing out here so late?" He tried to wipe the tears from his face hoping Kate would believe that he was only sweating.

Kate felt relieved when she realized it was Will. "Will, oh my gosh. You nearly scared me to death. Why are you running out here in the middle of the night?"

Will took a few deep breaths before answering. "Just needed to blow some steam after what happened earlier tonight."

Kate found a bench where they could sit. "What happened?" She looked closer to Will's face and realized he was crying. "Did something happen with Chad?"

"Chad asked me to come over tonight, so I did. We talked about his thoughts and feelings, and he pretty much told me that he loved me, but not directly. He seemed really confused about it, but he kissed me." Will wished the story ended there, but unfortunately it did not. "That's when Stefano came in."

Kate started to worry. "What did he do?"

As Will answered, he pictured what happened when Stefano walked into the room. "Stefano began to yell at us about how disgusted he was. He did not want to talk about it though as I think he was still in shock. That's when he sent Chad to his room and kicked me out of the house." Will looked into Kate's eyes. "He was so upset and it scared me. I can't imagine how Chad must feel right now. He's never going to want to be with me now. Stefano is so against this. I can tell... he might be worse than my father."

Kate pulled Will into a hug as she began to worry how Stefano might ruin any chance for Chad and Will to be happy. It upset her that Stefano had this reaction even though she half expected him to respond that way. She hoped she could get through to him to make him see that this should not be something he should get angry about. She realized that she could not talk to him tonight because her frustration might get the best of her. "I'll have a talk with Stefano tomorrow. I'll try to get through to him and Chad."

Will remembered the expression on Chad's face. "I don't think you'll be able to get through to either of them. It's done."

* * *

><p>In his room, Chad turned on the radio to help him think about what just happened between him, Will, and his father. He gave in and kissed Will. He had known for a while that Will was a good kisser, but he never knew there was more there until tonight when they kissed again. Chad tried to psych himself out again about the kiss as it was a dare. It was just a game. He had to kiss Will. Will dared him. Chad kept going back and forth on what really happened with Will. He remembered seeing and feeling how angry his father was when he found them kissing. He hated how it made him feel.<p>

Stefano walked into Chad's room, after quickly knocking, wanting to talk about what happened earlier. He knew he had to think things through before screaming at Chad some more about what happened. Going over to the radio, he turned it down. "Chad, I would like to talk about what happened earlier. I should apologize for raising my voice, but when I saw you and Will kissing I became nervous and afraid about what all of it meant."

Chad avoided any eye contact with Stefano. "I'm nervous and scared as well. I don't know what it means either," Chad admitted. "This is new to me."

Stefano walked over to his son feeling a bit relieved that this was something new. He feared that it had been happening for a long time considering Chad and Will shared a room not too long ago. "Son, I have an idea. Let's just forget it happened. We can move on with our lives never acknowledging the fact that you and Will were curious."

Chad gave Stefano a curious look. "Is that even possible?"

Stefano thought about the best course of action to move forward with his plan. "If you really want to nip this in the bud then I suggest that you stay away from Will. You and Will are obviously close, but something confused the two of you. You can't let that keep telling you that it's okay to be gay."

Chad did not like Stefano's suggestion. "I can't walk away from Will. He's my best friend… even if he's gay."

Stefano began to worry. "Are you gay?"

Chad quickly looked down. "I don't know. Maybe?" Chad wondered how Stefano would feel if he was gay.

Stefano tried to remain calm as he continued to talk to Chad. "Being gay is a choice. You don't have to be gay. You could choose to be straight." Stefano took a seat next to Chad's bed. "What about Abigail? Do you enjoy your time with her? Maybe you should replace your time with Will and spend more time with her."

Chad sat up wondering if his father was serious. "You don't even like Abigail. Since we started dating… hell, even before that, you have made it quite clear that Dimeras and Hortons don't mix hinting at my relationship with her."

"Well, Will is a Horton and a Brady, so what does that say about him?" Stefano asked rather annoyed.

"Are you serious right now? You love Will. You gave him an internship at Dimera Enterprises because you want him to be part of the team – a part of this family. Why are you now telling me that I should stay away from Will and spend more time with Abigail?"

Stefano shook his head as he stood up. He did not want to answer Chad's question directly. "Homosexuality is not the right way to live because it will cause nothing but pain." Stefano gave Chad a stern look to get his point across.

"Fine! Believe what you want, but I am not staying away from Will! He's my best friend!" Chad declared.

Stefano glared at Chad as he could no longer contain his anger. "We are done talking about this! And for the record, your trip is officially canceled!"

Chad sat up in bed confused as to what trip Stefano was talking about. "Trip? I did not plan any trips."

"Kate and I planned a surprise yacht trip for you and your friends to go on next week for all of your hard work, but it's not happening now. You will be busy with work and won't have time for any of your friends. Goodnight!" Stefano walked out of the room leaving Chad in there alone. Chad felt even more pressure to end things with Will.

* * *

><p>Dario was cleaning the bar when Sonny walked out of his mother's office to head home. Dario decided to follow Sonny outside so he could talk to him about the new guy he met. Outside, Dario put his hand on Sonny's shoulder to stop him from leaving. "Wait… I want to talk to you."<p>

Sonny pulled himself from Dario. "I don't really want to talk. I'm heading home."

Dario did not let that stop him from asking Sonny, "Have you been hanging out with my brother, Manny?"

Sonny did not want to answer Dario's question as it seemed he had a problem with it. "Why do you care?"

Dario realized Sonny would not confirm or deny it. He gave Sonny a concerned look. "If Manny is trying to hook up with you or is claiming he wants to, he's only going to hurt you. I know for a fact that my brother is not gay."

"Oh, like you?" Sonny hated that Dario was trying to ruin his chance to move on with someone else. "Back off Dario. You had your chance. Stop acting so jealous because I'm trying to move on like you wanted me to."

Dario tried to not let Sonny's statements get him upset. "So we can't be friends?"

Sonny shook his head as he thought about how he still loved Dario. He knew it was a mistake and just wanted Dario out of his system because Dario would never love him back. "I don't know anymore. Things are different and I can't talk to you about anything anymore. Just leave me alone. I want to forget that I ever met you."

Sonny's statement really hurt Dario causing Dario's anger to get the best of him. "Fine! Screw whoever you want to then. I don't give a damn. Just don't come complaining to me when you get hurt!"

"You're an ass, Dario!" Sonny shot back as he walked away upset.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Kate arrived outside of the Dimera Mansion when Stefano walked out surprised to see her. Stefano gave her an upset but concerned look. "Where have you been? You never came home last night."<p>

Kate pulled her hair out of her face. "I talked to Will last night about what happened. I decided I was too upset to come home last night, so I stayed the night at the Salem Inn."

Stefano gave Kate an annoyed look. "I am the one who should be upset for what you did. You have worked for weeks to put Chad and Will together just to ensure that Chad did not end up with Abigail! Don't you even dare deny it."

Kate could tell that Stefano was upset. "Will and Chad actually do love each other. Sure I had a hand in helping them realize that, but those feelings are real. Getting rid of Abigail was just a bonus." Kate tried to reason with Stefano. "Wouldn't you prefer Chad to be with Will instead of Abigail?"

"No!" Stefano proclaimed rather quickly. "I would rather Chad stay away from Will for good. Their relationship is toxic... even more so than Chad's relationship with that Horton girl."

Kate stepped back confused as to why Stefano would choose Abigail over Will. "Where is the logic in that? I mean, Abigail pretty much wants Chad to disown the family and you know Will would never ask Chad to walk away from you. Do you really hate homosexuality that much that you would rather see your son walk away from you to be with a girl who he does not love?"

"You don't understand the situation. I don't want to talk about this at all. Just so you know I canceled Chad's trip and my decision is final. Now I have to go somewhere and Marco is waiting for me in the car." Stefano walked away leaving Kate at the door.

Kate watched as Stefano and Marco drove off. "This is not good."

* * *

><p>Will sat on the couch at his apartment looking at his phone wondering if he should try to contact Chad. He had not seen or talked to him since the night before. Sonny walked in and noticed Will debating something as he looked at his phone. Figuring out what Will was debating, Sonny decided to chime in. "I think you should call Chad."<p>

Will turned and watched Sonny walk over to take a seat. "I don't know. This guilt is eating at me. I told Abigail I would stay away, but I went over to talk to Chad and ended up kissing him. You know the whole story."

"Not that I am accusing our cousin of lying, but it's possible that Chad never really said what she claimed he said when she asked you to promise to stay away. Isn't that why you agreed… because you thought Chad hated you when Abigail told you he wanted nothing to do with you?" Will could not answer, so Sonny continued hoping Will would stop feeling guilty. "Chad sent you that text. He asked you to come over. That tells me two things: Even if he implied he did not want to see you again, he did not mean it… and he loves you."

"I don't know." Will kept flashing back to the look on Chad's face. "I'm afraid that I've complicated Chad's life even more than it was. I did not want to do that to him." Will thought back to when he realized he was gay. "I did not think about Chad's welfare at all when I told him how I felt. I only made his life more complicated and awkward. Why didn't I think before I acted? I shouldn't have kissed him last night."

"Will, stop this!" Sonny tried to shake the negativity that Will was spouting off. "Did you forget that Chad kissed you? I just reminded you that he asked you to come over. He is the one that made you dare him to kiss you. Think about all the other times you two have kissed under the guise of it just being a dare. Chad has always known deep down that he loves you, Will. He probably couldn't put his finger on how much until you confessed your feelings to him at the reception. This needed to happen!"

"You're right, but I can't stop feeling guilty," Will admitted. "I lied to him last night."

"What do you mean? How did you lie to him?" Sonny asked confused.

"I told him that we could have a big family. I pretty much promised him that we could do that if he wanted just so that he would love me back." Will looked down. "The truth is… I don't want to have kids. I don't want them to go through what I went through as a kid. Chad also had a horrible experience and I don't want them to go through that as well."

Sonny put his arm around Will's shoulders and pulled him in. "Will, a lot of people say that growing up. I know that you had a hard time growing up because of all the lies and schemes from both of your parents, but don't let that keep you from allowing life to happen. You might change how you feel about having kids when the time comes. Just be open about it." Sonny took a breath before continuing, "Let's focus on what we know now. You love Chad and Chad loves you." Sonny rubbed Will's back hoping he would think more positive. Sonny genuinely loved helping people. Distracting him from his own problems was a bonus. "So are you going to call Chad?"

* * *

><p>Back in Chad's room, Chad walked out of the bathroom after taking a shower. He hoped the shower would make him feel better, but it did not. He felt sick to his stomach and could not stop stressing because he was so confused. As he got dressed, he thought about his conversation with Stefano last night. He did not want another father who looked down on him. He could not go through that all over again.<p>

Chad headed over to grab his phone from the charger when he heard it make a sound. He noticed he had received a text from Will. He read the text aloud, "Is there anyway we can meet up today?" Chad thought about it and how his father had given him a full schedule the next two days. He decided to text Will back: "My father has an eye on me and is keeping me busy with work, so I don't have time for friends or anyone else. I think our best chance to see each other is when EJ and Sami get back from their honeymoon on Saturday as we would have a legitimate reason to see each other."

Chad sat on his bed for a moment waiting for Will's reply. When Will's next text message came through Chad felt better. Will agreed to wait until Saturday. Chad felt relieved because it gave him more time to think. He hoped he could get everything in order by then.


	56. Chapter 56 Let It Be

**Chapter 56: Let It Be – Saturday, August 6th, 2011**

Gabi brought over the ticket for a customer at the Brady Pub. After wishing them a good day, T came in to talk to her. "Gabi."

Gabi turned around and walked over to T. "T, what are you doing here?"

"I came here to talk to you about last night. Do you have a moment?" T asked.

"Sure. All my tables are happy at the moment. I had fun with you at Club Dune last night." Gabi picked up her leg to rub her ankle. "Maybe too much fun."

T smiled as he thought about the night before. He helped her keep her balance as she rubbed her ankle. "You are an amazing dancer. Sorry if I got carried away on the dance floor."

Gabi dropped her foot. "No, you're fine. I just need to get used to it again." Gabi looked at T wondering if this is what he really wanted to talk about. "Is there anything else you wanted to say?"

T got a bit nervous, but knew that Gabi enjoyed their time together. "I wanted to talk to you about making things official between us. I really like you."

Gabi blushed a bit, but knew in her heart that she was not ready for a boyfriend. "I'm not ready to talk about that, but I do like you." Gabi still had an issue with what happened with Kinsey. "Have you talked to Kinsey?"

"Well, she never returned any of my calls after what happened." T did not know what to make of Kinsey's disappearance. "I went by her house the other day and I guess she and her family moved out."

"That's really odd that Kinsey seems to have disappeared off the face of the planet." Gabi turned and saw Caroline come up front from her office. "I should get back to work. We can talk later if you want."

"Okay." T moved in and gave Gabi a kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you later."

"Bye." After T left, Gabi turned around and headed to the bar.

Caroline watched Gabi walk over and wondered what that kiss was about. "You and T sure got close after you threw that drink in his face."

"Yeah. We worked through some stuff and he's proven to me that he's not that bad." Gabi looked around to see if her tables needed anything.

"So you're just going to forget about Will? I thought you were going to help him." Caroline wanted Gabi to reconsider her relationship with T.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Brady, but I have to move on." Gabi could tell she upset Caroline. "I'm still trying to help Will, but as a friend. He does not want to be my boyfriend and frankly, I don't want to be his girlfriend. Too much has happened." Gabi walked away to check on her tables. Caroline knew there was nothing she could do now.

* * *

><p>Will arrived with Allie at the Dimera Mansion before EJ and Sami returned from their honeymoon. After Harold showed them in, Will and Allie walked into the living room where Kate, Stefano, Chad, Johnny, and Sydney were waiting. Allie ran over to Johnny and Sydney to see what her brother and sister were up to. Will stood there unsure what to do considering what happened the last time he was there. He looked over at Kate and Chad, who were sitting on the couch.<p>

Kate looked over at Will and patted next to her on the couch. "Sit by me, Will. It's okay." She also kept her eye on Stefano as she noticed he did not let up on Chad.

Will took a seat next to his grandmother and glanced over to Chad, who sat on the other side of her. He looked forward to this moment because he wanted to talk to Chad again. "Hey."

Chad glanced at his father before responding, "Hey," he said rather softly.

Johnny held up a card he made for his parents. He walked closer to Allie. "Allie, sign the card I made for mommy and daddy." He turned to the others on the couch. "I need help signing Sydney's name."

Kate stood up and adjusted her skirt. "I'll help you, Johnny." She turned to Chad and Will, glanced at where she once sat, and then gave them a wink. Kate walked over to help the kids with the card.

Will and Chad looked at the space between them. They noticed Stefano began to watch Kate as she helped the kids with their card. They moved closer to each other. Only a small pillow kept them from moving any closer. Will glanced up to Chad. "Are you okay?"

"I'm…" Chad stopped talking when Stefano cleared his throat. Looking up, Chad noticed his father gave him a look. "I don't think we can talk now." Chad and Will sat there in silence until EJ and Sami finally arrived.

Stefano smiled as he watched Johnny, Allie, and Sydney run over to Sami and EJ. He headed over to EJ and gave him a hug. "It's good to have you home, son."

Kate glanced at Chad and Will as she headed over to talk to EJ and Sami. She made sure she stood where Stefano could no longer keep an eye on Chad and Will. "Your father has gone a bit crazy with you gone, but I think Chad did a wonderful job," she told EJ.

Will turned to Chad and noticed Chad's hand was next to his leg. Will slowly put his hand next to Chad's and grabbed it. Chad felt awkward as he feared his father would catch them. Chad pulled the pillow between them and moved closer. He placed the pillow over their hands so no one knew they were holding hands. Chad looked into Will's eyes and smiled. Will smiled back.

* * *

><p>Melanie and Nathan decided to take their break together as they made their way to the hospital cafeteria. After grabbing a snack they sat down at a table. "I was really looking forward to that trip. It sucks that Stefano canceled it. I wonder what happened." Melanie took a bite of her muffin.<p>

Nathan drank some of his water agreeing with Melanie. "I don't know what happened, but I already have next week off. What am I going to do with myself?"

Melanie smiled and winked at Nathan. "I can think of a few things we can do." Melanie pulled out her phone as she remembered getting a text message from Kate earlier. "Kate texted me earlier, but I was too busy to open it." She began to go through her phone to look for it.

"It's amazing that you were able to escape Kate's wrath after you divorced Philip." Nathan joked.

Melanie found the text message, but decided to respond to Nathan first. "Well, Philip cheated on me. Kate understands that I needed to get away." Melanie read the text and looked up at Nathan with a smile. "She says the trip is still on, but we're leaving early Monday morning instead."

Nathan was glad that the trip was still on. He remembered talking to Kate about Will and Chad. "I wonder if Stefano changed his mind."

Melanie shrugged her shoulders. "I guess he did." She grabbed Nathan's hand. "Not that we won't have fun on the trip, but that week of just the two of us sounded nice."

Nathan held Melanie's hand with both of his hands and smiled. "We can set that up later if you want."

* * *

><p>Sonny and Manny sat on the couch talking at Sonny's apartment. Manny wrapped his arms around Sonny and pulled him closer. "I'm sorry if I am touching you too much, but I really like you."<p>

Sonny blushed. "I like the touchy-feeliness. I don't think that's a word, but I like it." Sonny winked at Manny. After staring into each other's eyes for a bit, Sonny realized there was a lot he did not know about Manny. "So where did you live before you came to Salem?"

Manny felt uncomfortable about telling Sonny his life story as he did not want to ruin anything between them. "I don't really like talking about my past… besides you agreed that mystery can be exciting and sexy." Manny put his hand on Sonny's face and tried to pull him into a kiss.

Sonny backed off from the kiss. "I'm sorry, but even if you're cute, I don't feel comfortable kissing someone I barely know."

Manny backed off and pulled himself from Sonny to give them some space. Looking down, he thought back to when he was released from prison. He remembered seeing a limo and a man lowering the window wanting to talk to him. Manny looked over to Sonny and frowned a bit. "After getting out of prison, I needed time to myself, so I did not go home or come here to be with Dario and Gabi. I hope the fact that I went to prison does not scare you. I went to prison for my brother Rafe, but I was released and my name was cleared when the truth came out about Rafe killing his ex-fiancé."

Sonny remembered when Gabi explained Rafe's situation to him when they first met. "Why did you go to prison for him? You were innocent."

"It was for my mother, Dario, and Gabi," he admitted. "Rafe could provide better for them. I would do anything for the welfare of my family. I knew I had to make that sacrifice."

Sonny grabbed Manny's hand and put it his lap. "I admire that about you. Just so you know, I'm not scared because you went to prison. You seem like a really good guy."

As Sonny rubbed his hand, Manny thought about how prison changed him. He definitely had to learn new ways to survive. "Thanks. That really means a lot."

Sonny smiled. "I'm glad you could open up to me about all of that." Sonny went for a kiss, but the kiss was interrupted when they heard a knock on the door. "I'll get that. Are you okay?"

Manny nodded his head. "Yeah, I am fine."

Sonny headed to the door and found Dario on the other side. "What are you doing here?"

Dario thought about something he just did. "I wanted to talk to you. Are you going to let me in?"

"I think it would be better if we just talked here." Sonny thought about the fight he had with Dario. "What do you want to talk about?"

Dario became annoyed as he did not want to talk about it in the hall. He glanced in and saw his brother. Dario immediately barged in and looked his brother over. "What are you doing here, Manny? What game are you playing?"

Sonny got in the middle of Dario and Manny and pushed Dario back. "Stop this!" Sonny realized that Dario would not let up. He grabbed him and pushed him back out of his apartment and into the hall. Walking out into the hall Sonny gave Dario a disappointed look. "You can leave Dario. I've moved on with Manny!"

Sonny saying he moved on with Manny hurt Dario. "Sonny, you don't understand. This is some kind of joke or game," Dario warned Sonny.

"I don't want to hear it. You're the one who is playing games. Manny is a good guy. He's loving and caring." Sonny gave Dario a stern look.

"Fine. I get it. You've made your decision. I guess I'll stick with mine." Dario thought about the reason he came over and decided it was a waste of time. Upset, he left Sonny standing in the hall alone.

Sonny walked back into his apartment and closed the door behind him. "He's gone."

Manny pulled Sonny on top of him. "I'm sorry about his behavior. He's been really moody lately and I don't get it." Manny knew Dario was jealous even though he denied it. "Sometimes I wonder if Dario has a different father," he joked. "He's so different from Rafe, Arianna, and me."

Sonny gave Manny a questioning look. "Was that a joke or are you serious?"

Manny thought about it. "Well, I guess anything is possible considering my dad was in and out of my mom's life. Dario and even Gabi could have different fathers because they were born around the time my dad was not there. Don't mention that to Gabi and Dario as they have no idea."

Sonny did not know how to respond. "Okay… I won't." Sonny decided to change the subject as he did not want to focus on Dario. "So I am going on a trip next week with friends. We are going sailing on a yacht for a week."

Manny perked up. "Oh yeah. Dario and Gabi were talking about that. It sounds like fun." Manny wondered where they were headed on their trip. "So I won't get to see you or my family for a week. That's going to be kind of lonely."

"Well, maybe you could come. I'm sure the others wouldn't mind – well maybe your brother, but he needs to get over whatever he's upset about." Sonny looked over at Manny. "Do you want to come?"

Manny smiled as his plan worked. "Yeah. That would be a lot of fun if you think it would be okay." Manny's phone went off. "I'm sorry, but that's my alarm telling me I have to head into work soon," he lied.

Sonny got off of Manny and pulled him off the couch. "What do you do?"

"I'm an errand boy," he admitted. "I guess that's the only type of job you can get when you've spent time in prison." Manny felt uncomfortable that Sonny was able to make Manny open up about his life. He wondered why he was so upfront about certain things with Sonny. "I should go. I'll call you later."

"Okay. Sounds good." Sonny smiled as he watched Manny leave.

* * *

><p>Jennifer walked into Abigail's room hoping they could talk about the trip and Chad. "Have you finished packing already?"<p>

Abigail sat up on her bed. "I have packed most of my things, but there's still some last-minute packing I will finish up before I head to the pier to leave."

Jennifer took a seat next to Abigail. "How are you and Chad doing?"

Abigail thought about how Chad seemed distant with her. She had invited him out, but he claimed to be busy with work. She had her doubts about her relationship with Chad, but she did not dare tell her mom that as she knew her mom did not trust Chad. "Everything is fine," Abigail claimed as she forced a smile.

Jennifer knew better. "No, I don't think everything is fine. I can see it on your face, Abigail. Is he pressuring you to do anything?"

"Really mom?" Abigail gave Jennifer an annoyed look. "Chad is not pressuring me into anything. He's not putting me in danger at all. I know that you started to worry about that guy who died in the park, but I promise you Chad had nothing to do with it."

"Well, I don't know about that Abigail. You went to Roman and told him you saw Chad and EJ with that man. I saw you fight with Chad about it. He seemed really upset." Jennifer took her daughter's hand. "Abigail, why did you recount your statement? Are you in trouble?"

Abigail pulled her hand from her mother. "I am not in trouble. Chad is a good boyfriend and I love him."

Jennifer gave Abigail a worried look. "Abigail, you lying to the cops is a big deal. You don't seem like yourself at all. I'm afraid you're going to lose yourself if you keep dating Chad."

"What do you know? Chad is not dad!" Abigail stood up from the bed feeling rather upset that her mother kept egging her on about lying to the cops and selling herself just to be with Chad. "I need some air. Don't wait up for me!" Abigail stormed out of her room and out of the house.

* * *

><p>While the others were talking to EJ and Sami about their honeymoon, Chad and Will were able to sneak outside to talk to each other in private. Chad cautiously smiled at Will. "I missed you." Chad took a deep breath. "I also have to admit that the way I feel about you scares me. It's not normal and I never expected to feel this way about you."<p>

Will hated seeing Chad so scared. He wished that Chad would just let everything go so that they could be together, but Will knew he struggled with the same thing. "I'm a little scared, too. I don't really know what it looks like to be honest."

Chad received a text message from Abigail. He read it and looked at Will. "It's Abigail. She wants to meet up with me. I'll tell her I'm busy though." Chad half smiled at Will as he told Abigail via text message that he would have to call her later because he was at a family function. Abigail quickly texted back and once Chad read it, he looked at Will with guilt in his eyes.

"What did she say?" Will asked.

"She told me that she loves me." Chad put his hands over his head. "God, I don't know what I am going to do. I'm an awful person."

Will took Chad's hands after Chad dropped them. "I'm so sorry that I put so much pressure on you. I did not want you to feel this way at all."

Chad looked into Will's eyes wanting to tell him that he knew that what they have is real, but something inside stopped him. "Will, don't apologize. I feel good when I'm with you… but I don't know if I could ever give you everything you want. I can't promise you anything, so please don't walk away because of that. I don't want to lose you."

"You won't lose me, Chad. I promise you. It's okay if you're scared. I'm here for you no matter what you decide." Will placed his hand on Chad's chest to comfort him. He could feel Chad's heart beat and then realized his heart was beating with Chad's. Will noticed Chad moved in closer to him. Will moved in to give Chad a kiss, which Chad allowed. Both of them forgot where they were for that moment.

As Chad and Will began to separate from their kiss, Stefano walked out of the mansion looking for Chad and Will. He shook his head as he had caught them together again. "What is with you two? Why are you doing this to yourselves?"


	57. Chapter 57 Run Away

**Chapter 57: Run Away – Saturday, August 6th, 2011**

Dario walked into the Cheatin' Heart and found Adrienne playing a game of pool by herself. "Boss. Are you busy?"

Adrienne turned around, leaned on the pool stick, and smiled at Dario. "Dario, what are you doing here? It's your day off."

Dario tried to smile, but the reason he came to talk to Adrienne made him feel awful. "Adrienne, I regret to tell you this, but I have to quit. Since I am leaving early Monday morning to go on that week-long trip, tomorrow will have to be my last day. I promised my sister I would go." Even though Dario hated letting go of his job at the Cheatin' Heart, he knew it was for the best.

Adrienne felt sad by Dario's announcement. She wanted to talk him out of it, but sensed he had made up his mind. "If there's anything I can say to make you change your mind, tell me now and I will say it."

Dario glanced at Adrienne for a second. "I'm sorry, but I need to do this."

Adrienne's heart sank. "Have you found another job?"

Dario scratched his neck. "Yeah. I'm going to be a deep-sea fisher for the next five months in Alaska." Dario forced a smile trying to make it sound like it was a good thing.

"Alaska? What do you know about the fishing industry?" Adrienne did not understand why Dario would take a job in Alaska.

"I used to do it before I came to Salem to help Gabi out with things. It pays very well." Dario looked down.

Adrienne began to rub Dario's arm with her hand. "I can't believe you're leaving Salem. You really have been a blessing to a lot of people here."

Dario smiled at Adrienne's kindness. "Thanks, but I think it's for the best and it will really help my family. My mom could really use the money as she's been sick. I won't be gone forever. I might come back for Christmas."

"You better!" Adrienne pulled Dario into a hug. "You know that we're all going to miss you, right? Me especially."

Dario hugged her back and thought about Sonny. He knew he had to get away from Salem for both their sakes. "I'm going to miss all of you as well!"

* * *

><p>Back at the Dimera Mansion, Stefano began to give Chad and Will hell for what they were doing behind everyone's back. "What you two are doing is foolish!" Stefano walked over to Chad. "Do I have to remind you that you will never have the family you have always wanted if you choose to be with William?"<p>

Chad began to feel guilty. "It just happened, father." Chad wondered if Stefano meant that he would lose him and the rest of the family as well. "I'm sorry. I can't control it."

Will could see doubt in Chad's eyes. Will went over to him and took his hand to reassure him. "Chad, it's going to be okay. I told you that whatever you decide, I will always be by your side. I will always love you no matter what."

Stefano got in Will's face causing Chad to let go of Will's hand. "That's the problem. If you are always there for him, you will continue to cause problems for this family. You two need to stop speaking to each other. You two need to stop seeing each other." Stefano motioned to Chad. "Can't you see that you're causing nothing but pain for Chad and our family? It's there in front of your face and you don't seem to care at all. You are the cause of it all and that's why your internship has been terminated. You do not work for my family anymore."

Will stood back in shock of Stefano firing him and accusing him of purposely hurting Chad. "I did not mean to cause him any pain. Chad knows that!" Will tried to grab Chad's hand again, but Stefano stopped him.

Sensing the anger had increased in his father, Chad gave Will a sad look. "Will, I think you should leave."

Will gave Chad a confused look. "Is that what you really want?"

Chad began to shake his head no, but Stefano stood between Will and Chad. "Of course it's what he wants. He just asked you to leave!"

Having heard some screaming, Sami walked out of the mansion and immediately felt the tension between Stefano, Chad, and Will. "What is going on here?"

Stefano turned to Sami and started shaking his finger at her. "William is just following in his mother's footsteps!" Stefano turned back to Will. "You are nothing but a schemer and a deceiver, William. You will do anything to get what you want!"

"Stefano, how could you say something like that to Will. He is nothing like me!" Sami pushed past Stefano to talk to Will. "Will…"

Stefano's accusations made Will's guilt come to the forefront making him feel like shit. "No… I can't do this… he's right. I have to go." Will ran off, got in his car, and drove off.

Sami turned to Stefano and Chad. Her eyes were filled with anger and disappointment. "You will regret this Stefano!" Sami shook her head at Chad. "I thought you were better than this." Sami went inside to grab her phone to call Will as Chad looked down in shame.

* * *

><p>After pulling out some fresh-baked cookies out of the oven, Sonny heard a knock at the door. He wondered if Manny came back because he forgot something. He looked the couch over to see if there was anything as he made his way to the door. "Coming!" Sonny unlocked and opened the door with a smile. "Hey, Abigail," he greeted her a bit disappointed.<p>

Abigail did not smile back and slumped inside the apartment without an invitation. "I am so upset right now!"

Sonny gave Abigail a hug. "I can tell. What happened?"

"I got into it with my mother about my relationship with Chad. She mentioned all these things about why Chad and I don't work." Abigail let out a small groan. "Why can't she just see that I do love him and that's all that matters?"

Sonny let go of Abigail and led her to the couch. "I'm sorry." Sonny wanted to help Abigail feel better, but he also felt guilty because he was helping Will with Chad. "Are you really in love with Chad or are you in love with the idea of who you want Chad to be?"

"Do you really have to ask me that?" Abigail asked averting Sonny's question. "Don't tell me you agree with my mom!" Before Sonny could answer, Abigail remembered that she came here to cool off and talk things out with Sonny. "I'm sorry. I'm not upset with you. I just feel betrayed."

Sonny got a nervous. "Betrayed?"

"Yeah. Don't you remember when Will got that internship and promised he would help Chad get out of the family business. He never delivered and probably only took that job to get in my boyfriend's pants!" Abigail shook her head as she thought of how Will betrayed her.

Sonny put his hand on top of the couch behind Abigail. "I thought Will promised he would make sure that Chad stayed true to himself. I don't think Will took that job to get into Chad's pants. Truthfully, I think he took it to get away from me because he did not want to be gay at the time."

Abigail pulled her hair out of her face. "It doesn't matter." She thought about Will and Chad's relationship and ignored the possibility of Chad feeling the same way for Will. She smirked. "I feel bad for Will because I know Chad's not gay."

Sonny felt extremely awkward and did not know what to say. He looked back and remembered he had just finished baking cookies. "I just made some cookies, do you want a couple?"

Abigail smelled the cookies for the first time she arrived. She realized her issues kept her from enjoying life. She turned to Sonny to help him, but then noticed a look on Sonny's face. "Wait… you think that Will has a chance with Chad, don't you? You want Will and Chad to be together. You haven't encouraged my relationship with Chad once since I got here. You think that I should break up with Chad?" Abigail stood up feeling betrayed once again.

Sonny stood up with her and placed his hands on her arms to calm her down. "Abigai…"

"I can't believe you! Who's side are you on? I'm your cousin for fuck's sake!" Abigail pushed Sonny on the couch and left the apartment.

Sonny leaned back on the couch after she left. He thought about what just happened and remembered what happened when Dario showed up earlier. "Drama! This is exactly why I don't stay in one spot for long!" Sonny realized he would have to get used to it because he was attending Salem U.

* * *

><p>Wiping the tears from his face, Chad paced his room as he tried to psych himself out again believing he needed to get over his feelings for Will. He wanted to believe that his feelings for Will could not be real. He began to speak aloud to reassure himself that his experience with Will was normal. "I'm just curious. Everyone my age gets curious and experiments a little. Then they move on. That's all it is." Chad sighed as he grabbed his phone. He dialed Abigail's number hoping she would pick up. When she answered, he greeted her rather quickly.<p>

"Chad, we need to talk about us," Abigail said on the other side.

"That's why I called you. I want to talk about our relationship." Chad sat on his bed as he tried to fight off thoughts about Will. "I'm really trying to be a good boyfriend."

Abigail did not want to complain to Chad about feeling neglected because she figured she would lose him that way. "I know that you've been busy, Chad. It's okay, but I have to know if you're really committed to our relationship."

Chad thought about how his father had kept him busy so he did not have time to hang out with anyone. "I'm trying my best to be as committed as I can. I want to be with you." Chad wanted to believe it.

Abigail felt a bit relieved. "I love you, Chad. Do you feel the same way?"

Chad thought about it realizing that he did love Abigail, but not in the same way she claimed to love him. Chad did not want to lie to her. "I love you, but I don't think it's at the same level as how you feel about me. I'm trying though."

"Well, I understand why we're not at the same level, so it's okay. When you forget about what daddy wants and become your own man you'll be able to love me like I love you." Abigail hoped she got her point across of what she wanted from Chad.

Chad understood that Abigail wanted him to denounce his family and it did not sit well with him. Feeling even more pressure than before, Chad decided he needed to get off the phone. "I have to go. My sister just got here," he lied.

"Oh, okay. Well, I will call or text you later."

"Okay. Bye." Chad hung up the phone and did not realize Kate was standing by the door inside his room.

"Chad… who were you lying… I mean talking to?" Kate asked announcing her presence.

Chad jumped a bit, but calmed down when he realized Kate was in his room. He sat up in his bed. "It was Abigail."

Kate moved closer and leaned against Chad's bedpost. "I know that you do not love Abigail. Do you know that?"

"I do know, but father wants me to be with Abigail to make my life easier." Chad did not understand how Stefano went from disliking Abigail to loving her. "I don't get it."

"I don't understand your father at the moment either." Kate did not want Chad to know she knew about his feelings for Will, but she still wanted to challenge him on his feelings for Abigail and Will. "Who do you want to be with, Chad? Ignore what everyone else thinks… what do you want?" Kate began to look around the room as she allowed Chad to think about her question. She turned to Chad before he could answer, "Do you have any suitcases? It looks like you haven't packed for the trip."

Chad got off the bed. "What do you mean? Father canceled the trip."

"No, it's not canceled. You and your friends leave early Monday morning, but Stefano does not know that." Kate put her arm around Chad. "You need to get out of here and have fun. Forget about all of your problems in Salem. Even if Abigail is going on the trip, you can still have a good time. Just make sure you do what you want to do and not worry about what other people think." Kate opened his closet and found a few suitcases. "There. You should pack." Kate smiled and left.

Chad pulled out a suitcase and placed it on his bed. Even though Kate told him to relax, he could not stop thinking about what Stefano and Abigail wanted. He figured it would be easier for him to give them both what they wanted.

* * *

><p>Will arrived at his apartment and found Sonny watching TV. Sonny turned to Will and noticed that something happened by the look on Will's face. After turning off the TV, Sonny got up and made his way to Will. "Abigail was here a while ago. Where have you been? Did you hang out with Chad at all?"<p>

"I did, but things did not work out so well. I went to the park to walk around and think." Will pulled out his phone and saw that he had four missed calls from Sami. Will felt guilty for what he did to Chad. "I really put Chad in an awkward place. I can tell he does not want to be in the position I put him in." Will put his phone down by the couch.

Sonny put his right hand on Will's shoulder. "Will we talked about this. Stop feeling guilty. Things will work themselves out. Things get awkward, but that doesn't mean it's wrong or should be avoided. Life is full of awkward moments, but those moments are what makes you stronger. What you and Chad have is real, but at this point Chad does not want to believe it because he wants to hold onto what the world has told him he should have." Sonny grabbed Will's cellphone and placed it on Will's chest. "You should call Chad and talk him through this. Tell him about your experience and how you tried to fight it. It might help him."

Will took his phone from Sonny. "I've already tried to call him, but he's not answering. I'll try again." Will dialed Chad's phone number and listened to it ring. "I don't think he wants to talk to me." It went to voicemail and since he had already left two messages earlier, Will hung up. "He's the one that told me to leave even though he claimed he did not want me to. This is so confusing. I wish I could just tell him how to make things better for him."

Sonny gave Will a hug. Suddenly Will's phone made a noise. Sonny backed off. "Is that him?"

Will checked his phone and smiled. "Yeah. He sent me a text." Will decided to read it out loud so Sonny could know what he said, "He says, 'I'm sorry, but I'm scared to love you and I'm torn on what to do. Goodnight. I'm turning off my phone for the night to listen to music and think.'" Will turned his attention to Sonny. "There goes my way of talking to him. How else am I supposed to tell him how I feel and how I know that we are the real thing?"

Sonny felt bad and did not know if there was another way. "I don't know. I'm sorry, Will."

Will read the text message again and looked back up to Sonny with a smile. "I've got an idea of how to send my message to Chad without having to talk to him!" Sonny gave Will an intrigued look.

* * *

><p>Back in Chad's room, Chad laid on his bed as he listened to the radio station. It was request and dedication night, which made Chad start to regret his decision of listening to the radio. He got up and was about to turn off the radio when he heard the radio DJ say, "We have a dedication from Will to his best friend, Chad. It's BBMak's Run Away." Chad stood back curious about whether his Will dedicated the song to him. He sat on his bed as it started to play.<p>

_Close your eyes and tell me what you see:_

_The two of us and nothing in-between_

_And run away when we_

_Say goodbye to all the tears you've cried_

_And all the pain that you could never hide_

_And run away with me._

_I can make you believe it's worth it._

_Don't be afraid to be free 'cause no one's perfect._

_I'll always be there by your side._

_Someone said, "Love is all you need."_

_So take my hand, I'll show you what it means._

_Just run away with me._

_I can make you believe it's worth it._

_Don't be afraid to be free 'cause no one's perfect._

_I'll always be there by your side._

_Torn._

_You've heard it all before, but there's nothing I want more._

_Torn. Ah._

_I can make you believe it's worth it._

_Don't be afraid to be free 'cause no one's perfect._

_I'll always be there by your side._

_Yes, I'll always be there by your side_

_'Cause I'm here for you._

_Yes, I'm here for you._

Chad laid back on his bed and remembered Kate's question. He realized that the answer to her question was Will. Thinking about Will took all the pressure away. Chad wanted to be with Will. Chad wiped a tear that formed in his right eye and smiled.


	58. Chapter 58 Need to Know Why

**Chapter 58: Need to Know Why – Sunday, August 7th, 2011**

The next morning, Sonny walked out of his room with his gym bag and found Will sitting at the table looking at his phone. "Has Chad called or sent a text since last night?"

Will looked up at Sonny. "No. I haven't heard back from Chad at all. I hope he heard the song."

Sonny took a seat at the table for a moment. "What do you have planned for today?"

"Well, my dad and sister, Allie, are going back to Hong Kong today." Will could not believe they were already heading back. "Oh, T called me earlier and asked if he could stop by. He should be here soon." Will moved his lips to the side as he thought about T coming over. "I'm going to tell him that I'm gay."

"Are you nervous?" Sonny asked as he made sure he had everything in his gym bag.

"Well, yeah, but it's better he hear it from me instead of someone else… unless someone else has already told him." Will rolled his eyes at the thought. "What are you doing?"

Sonny stood up and adjusted his bag around his shoulder. "I guess I am going to the gym alone."

"What about Dario?" Will asked as he followed Sonny to the door.

"Dario and I are no longer friends," Sonny said as he tried to not let the fact bother him. "Dario's the one I was in love with, but I'm moving on."

"I wondered if it was Dario," Will admitted. "Was he ever interested back?"

"A few beers used to do the trick," Sonny joked. "I'll leave it at that." Sonny said bye and left.

Will wondered if Sonny was joking or if he and Dario ever did anything together. He sat on the couch and looked at his phone again. He wished Chad would contact him somehow to let him know he heard the song. Will sat there for a while until he heard a knock at the door. "Coming."

After being invited in, T patted Will on the back. "It's been a while since we've hung out. What's the deal?" Will and T moved to take a seat on the couch.

"Things have been crazy," Will shared. He looked over at T. "I've noticed that you and Gabi have gotten closer.

T moved a bit on the couch as he got nervous. "I really like her, Will, and if that makes me a bad guy, I'm sorry. It just happened and it started after you broke up with her."

Will smiled. "It's okay, T. I'm glad you two found each other." Will's heart began to beat a little faster. "The reason I broke up with her was because I'm gay."

Shocked, T did not know what to say to Will. "You're gay?"

Will nodded his head fearing that his announcement may have scared T. "Yep."

Noticing that Will was afraid to look at him, T knew he needed to say something to let Will know that it did not change anything. With a smile, he asked, "So do you find me attractive?"

Will knew by looking at T that he was slightly joking with him. "Oh yeah. Let me tell you… you're sex on a stick." Will winked at T. "So you're really okay with this?" Will wanted to be sure.

T patted Will's leg. "It might take some getting used to, but we've been friends since we were little. I wouldn't turn my back on a friend."

Will smiled. "Thanks. I'm glad we're still friends."

* * *

><p>Kate walked into the living room after having lunch with Lucas, Allie, and Jennifer. She walked over to Sami and EJ ignoring Stefano at his desk. "I've already said my final goodbyes to Lucas and Allie, Sami. Lucas is waiting for you in the car so you two can go over to Will's apartment."<p>

"Okay." Sami gave EJ a kiss. "I'll be back home later. Will and I are going shopping after Lucas and Allie say goodbye."

Before Sami could leave, Chad made his way into the living room to make an announcement. "I have something to tell you all. I'm moving out." Chad thought about the pressures Stefano and Abigail were putting on him and figured that moving out was the best way to deal with it all.

Stefano turned from his desk and stood up as EJ walked over to Chad. "Chad, what are you talking about?" EJ asked.

Stefano made his way to Chad as well. "What do you mean you're moving out?"

"I'm leaving the mansion. I'm leaving the family business. I don't belong here," Chad acknowledged.

Stefano placed his left hand over his right hand and gestured to Chad. "What do you mean you don't belong here? We are family."

Chad ignored Stefano and turned to Kate, Sami, and EJ. "I'll be out by tonight." Chad turned and headed back to his room.

Noticing how Chad would not look at Stefano, EJ turned to Stefano and asked, "What is going on here? What did you do to him while I was gone?"

Stefano did not want to admit to anything. "Nothing happened. I don't know what your brother is thinking most of the time."

Sami smirked at Stefano. "I know what happened. Yesterday, I interrupted a moment between Stefano, Will, and Chad outside. If Chad moves out, you've only got yourself to blame, Stefano." Sami turned back to EJ. "I should go. Lucas and Allie need to catch their flight."

"Okay, sweetheart." EJ kissed Sami. After she left, EJ turned to his father. "What are you going to do to stop Chad from leaving?"

"You need to talk to Chad and tell him that you love him no matter what," Kate suggested causing EJ to wonder what happened between Stefano, Chad, and Will.

Stefano rolled his eyes. "The boy is stubborn just like me. Maybe even more so. I'll see what I can do."

* * *

><p>Gabi and Dario walked into their apartment with a load of laundry. They made their way to their suitcases on the couch. They began to fold laundry and pack what they wanted to take with them on the trip. Gabi folded a pair of shorts and turned to Dario. "Did you hear about Manny going on the trip now?"<p>

"Yeah, I did." Dario looked at Gabi and wondered if he should tell her what he knew about Sonny and Manny. "You know that Sonny invited him right?" Gabi nodded her head as she put some clothes in her suitcase. "They have been spending a lot of time together."

Gabi smiled at Dario and noticed he seemed jealous by the fact. She made a puppy dog face and asked, "Oh, did big brother take away your best friend?" She playfully smiled at Dario. "So what? I think it's great that Manny is coming now – no matter who invited him."

"You don't get it, Gabi." Dario looked the room over to make sure Manny was not around. "Manny and Sonny have been seeing each other romantically. I heard it from Sonny himself and Manny did not deny it."

Gabi stopped folding her clothes and gave her full attention to Dario. "Are you serious? Manny's not gay." Gabi shook her head. "No, there's no way. Well, maybe. Maybe he experimented when he was in prison. People do crazy stuff in there," Gabi said trying to explain the situation.

Dario thought about what Gabi said. "I don't know. It's just really weird because before Sonny and Manny started hanging out, Manny gave me crap about being Sonny's friend and kept calling me a fag."

The front door opened and Manny walked in causing Gabi and Dario to stop talking to focus on folding and packing their suitcases. Manny caught on that they were talking about him. "It's awkwardly quiet in here."

Gabi threw a shirt in her suitcase and turned to Manny to ask him point-blank about what Dario told her. "Are you dating Sonny?" she asked hoping he would deny it.

"Well, it's not official, but I hope that on the trip everything will become clearer," he vaguely admitted.

Gabi became upset. "Manny, you know that being gay is wrong!"

Dario shook his head at Manny and decided to give him a taste of his own medicine. "So now you're the one with Sonny. Now you're the fag!" As soon as Dario said it he felt really guilty.

Manny quickly got upset and grabbed Dario by the shirt. "Don't talk to me like that you, maricon!"

Gabi noticed something different about Dario when he called Manny a fag but decided to keep it to herself. She separated her brothers. "Stop! Calling each other names won't solve anything!"

Dario glared at Manny as he let him go. He returned to his packing. "Just so you two know, I took a job and I'm moving to Alaska to be a deep-sea fisher. I'll be gone for about five months."

Gabi turned to Dario and pushed him. "What is wrong with you? You're running away again just like you did when Arianna and Manny went to jail."

"I did that because I knew Rafe had a secret and that secret put Arianna and Manny in prison! Rafe tore our family apart!" Dario loudly declared.

Manny wanted to punch Dario, but restrained himself. "Don't say that about our brother! I don't regret going to jail for Rafe because I knew he could provide for all of you better than I could as a washed up ship mechanic. If he had not escaped prison where would all of you be now?"

Dario shook his head at Manny. "Eres un idiota! Rafe destroyed our family even more when the truth came out about Emily. Then to top it all off, he put Sami in a coma and then later held her hostage to kill her!"

"¡Cállate!" Manny had enough of Dario's bad mouthing and wanted the family to be at peace. "I promise you that our family will be brought back together by the end of the week. We will survive this."

* * *

><p>At the Horton House, Abigail, Melanie, and Nathan hung out in the living room as they waited for Daniel and Jennifer to arrive. Nathan and Melanie originally wanted to spend a little time alone before supper, but Abigail could not take a hint. Holding Melanie in his arms on the couch, Nathan put his phone down. "I got the strangest text from Chad earlier. He said that he needed a place to stay for a few nights."<p>

Abigail looked over towards Melanie and Nathan. "Why would he need a place to stay?"

"I think he's moving out and is probably looking for a new place kind of like how Sonny did when he moved out of Victor's."

Abigail felt excited that Chad finally made the right decision, but decided to keep her excitement to herself in case she was wrong. "That's interesting."

Jennifer and Daniel walked in holding a few grocery bags. "Abigail, I hope you don't mind, but Daniel and I ran into Josh at the store, so I invited him to join us."

Josh walked in and Daniel closed the door. "Hey," he said a bit nervous.

Abigail realized that her mother only invited him because she did not like Chad, but Abigail knew she could not take it out on Josh. "You can come hang out with us while they cook."

Daniel noted the awkwardness between Jennifer and Abigail and decided they should leave the kids alone. "We should start on supper so that we can eat as soon as possible." Daniel and Jennifer headed into the kitchen.

Josh took a seat in Tom's old chair making Abigail feel a bit awkward. Trying to start up conversation, he announced, "I was hired last week as the entertainment on some weeklong yacht party. It sounds like it's going to be fun and the pay is really good."

Melanie and Nathan looked at each other. "Wait… I think that's the trip we are going on."

"This woman named Katherine hired me. She had a blue streak in her hair." Josh thought it would be funny if they were going together.

"That's it," Nathan responded. "Small world."

Melanie put her fingers in her mouth. "Are you going to strip for us this time?" she jokingly asked.

Nathan gave Melanie a weird look. "Where did that come from?"

Josh laughed. "No, I won't be doing that. I'll provide some music and put in some performances so that we can party it up during the evening."

Not wanting to talk about the trip with the others, Abigail decided to text Chad to see if he was moving out of the mansion. She sent the text and got a response from Chad. Chad denied he was moving out because he did not want to get her hopes up. He also told her that they needed to have a serious talk on the trip. Abigail began to worry as she believed that their talk would be bad news for their relationship since he lied to her about moving out. Abigail looked around the room wanting to vent, but realized she had no one to vent to since Melanie was busy with Nathan.

* * *

><p>Stefano made his way up to Chad's room, and after knocking on the door he walked inside. "Why are you doing this? You don't have to move out."<p>

Chad had been packing for the trip and decided to close his suitcase before Stefano could notice anything suspicious. "I have to. I don't belong here."

Keeping his anger in check, Stefano made his way to Chad and spoke in a calm voice. "You know that I love you and that I want you to stay here. We are family."

Chad turned his face away from Stefano. "I'm doing you a favor here. You've made it clear that a gay son can't fit in the family."

"You're not gay. You have slept with women before," Stefano reminded Chad. "What about Grace? She did not come from a gay father."

Chad thought about Grace and wished Stefano had not brought her up as it confused him even more. "Well, I guess I'm bi then… maybe. I'm still confused about all of this."

Stefano put his hand on Chad's shoulder. "I don't hate homosexuals, but I think you should choose not to be one."

Thinking Stefano was confirming that he did not belong in the family if he chose Will, Chad did not want to talk about it anymore with Stefano because it only made things harder for him. "Can you please just leave me alone?" he asked in a desperate tone.

"Well, at least think this through longer. Stay tonight and we can talk about it tomorrow." Stefano did not want to lose Chad.

"Well, I'll stay the night if you promise to drop this and let me think alone," Chad countered knowing he would be gone by the time Stefano woke up.

"I'll leave you alone. I hope the time will help you realize that you are making a mistake." Stefano walked out.

Chad opened his suitcase and tried to pack again, but could not. He leaned against his bed and thought about losing his family. He figured it was inevitable and started to mourn losing the family he had always wanted.

* * *

><p>Alone in his apartment, Will smiled as he thought about how things went well with T, but the smile did not last long. He wished that Chad would get back to him. Will thought of the possibility that Chad did hear the song and it only freaked Chad out more. Will began to believe he failed Chad by bringing him into all this drama and stress.<p>

Will's thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. Lucas, Allie, and Sami walked in when Will opened it. Allie ran over to Will and gave him a hug. "You have to visit me, Will."

Will smiled at her. "I promise that I will before the school year starts. You'll have to save me a bowl of Dim Sum when I get there."

Lucas made his way over to Will and gave him a hug. "I wish we could stay here longer, but I've used all my vacation time." After separating, Lucas kept his hand on Will's shoulder. "I'm proud of you for becoming your own man and living life the way you want it. I love you."

"I love you, too, Dad." Will and Lucas gave each other another hug.

Lucas turned to Allie and picked her up. "You ready to head back to Hong Kong?" Allie nodded her head. "Let's say bye to mommy first."

Lucas walked Allie over to Sami. Sami gave Allie a hug and a kiss. "Bye, sweetheart. We will Skype when you get home, okay?" Sami gave Allie another kiss. "I'll try to visit you with Will before the summer is over. I love you so much."

After Lucas and Allie left, Sami wiped the tears from her face and turned to Will. This was the first time she had a chance to talk to him about what Stefano said to him outside of the Dimera Mansion. "I'm proud of you as well, Will. Don't listen to Stefano. You're nothing like me. You're caring, loving, you think of others, and you don't get others into trouble."

Will smiled back at his mother. "You just described yourself."

Sami began to laugh at Will's sweetness. "I don't know about the trouble part."

"Well, you don't get others into trouble. You get yourself into trouble," Will joked. "To top things off on how similar we are, we both love Dimera men."

Sami smiled and rubbed Will's arm. "That is true." She thought about Stefano saying those things to Will and how Stefano seemed to have Chad in check. "Do you need any help dealing with Stefano?"

Will shook his head. "That's Chad's job. He's going to have to deal with his dad if he even wants me."

Sami remembered Chad's announcement earlier. "Well, Chad did tell Stefano today that he's moving out."

Will wondered why Chad had not told him that yet. "Well, I guess he's not interested in me."

"Will," Sami started. "Don't give up. No matter what happens, I hope you know that you are and will always be loved." Sami gave Will a hug. "Are you ready to do some shopping?" Will nodded his head.


	59. Chapter 59 Surprise Party

**Chapter 59: Surprise Party – Sunday, August 7th, 2011**

Sonny walked into the Cheatin' Heart, looked around, and noticed his parents were decorating the place for a party. "What's going on tonight? Someone rent out the bar?"

Adrienne climbed off the ladder after hanging something up. Justin helped her get down. She gave Sonny a hug before explaining. "It's Dario's last day. He's moving to Alaska next Monday."

Sonny had to replay the news a couple of times before it would sink in. Sonny could not believe that Dario decided to leave Salem. "So you're throwing him a party tonight?" Sonny tried to pretend the news did not bother him.

Adrienne and Justin could see that Dario leaving was a surprise to him. "It's a surprise party." Justin gave Sonny a questioning look. "Did you know that Dario took a job up there to fish?"

Sonny swallowed hard and shook his head. "No, I had no idea."

"That's odd. You and Dario seem really close. I figured he would have told you first." Adrienne picked up another decoration.

Justin held the ladder still so that Adrienne could put it up. He turned to Sonny and asked, "Are you going to stick around for the party?"

Sonny shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not sure."

Adrienne looked down from the ladder. "I think you should as I know it would mean a lot to Dario."

Sonny looked down as he thought about what happened between him and Dario over the last month. "I don't think that would be accurate."

Adrienne came back down from the ladder a bit confused by Sonny's response. "Well, will you at least help us decorate the place? Oh, and can you call Gabi. I think it's important that his family is here to support him."

"Yeah, I can help, and I'll call his family. I don't think everyone will come though as it is late notice." Sonny pulled out his phone to make a couple of calls.

"Well, yeah. Most of his family doesn't live in Salem." Adrienne shook her head at Sonny's comment as she thought he was being facetious.

Sonny put the phone to his ear, but replied to his mother. "His brother Manny is in town now."

Justin and Adrienne looked at each other and wondered where Manny came from.

* * *

><p>Stefano walked down the stairs after making a call and found EJ waiting for him at the bottom. "I've convinced Chad to stay at least one more night, but I have a secret weapon that I believe will convince him not to abandon us."<p>

"Well, he thinks that you've abandoned him." EJ gave Stefano a concerned look. "Kate told me why Chad's upset. Why are you afraid of letting Chad be with Will? What are you afraid will happen if Chad is indeed gay?"

Stefano grabbed the handrail as he thought about Chad. "I want Chad to be happy, but I know that if I let him live the gay lifestyle it won't lead to happiness. I'm afraid that people won't take him serious thus treating him like he's less of a man."

"Well, you're doing a perfectly good job of that yourself," EJ informed his father.

Lexie arrived and sensed something was wrong when she walked in. She greeted her father and brother with a kiss on the cheek. "Father, what is going on?"

"I need you to talk to Chad. He's in his room and he is rather upset with life." Stefano looked up the stairs. "Hopefully you can talk some sense into him. I fear Chad will leave the family."

Lexie looked up the stairs. "I'll talk to him and see what I can do." Lexie headed up the stairs as EJ and Stefano continued to talk about Chad.

* * *

><p>Will and Sami arrived at his apartment with bags from the mall. After placing them on the floor by the couch, Will turned to Sami. "Thanks for helping me find things I will need for this trip."<p>

"Well, I made a list of things I wanted to bring next time EJ and I went sailing or anything like that. I had everything planned for the wedding, but I forgot about the honeymoon. It's rare for me to get to the honeymoon phase. I did not think about it. Luckily, EJ was all I needed." Sami smiled as she thought about her honeymoon.

Will began to think about Chad. He tried to stay positive about things, but Chad still had not contacted him. He watched his mother as she began to separate the things they bought for his trip. Will walked over and gave Sami a hug. "Thanks, mom."

"You already said thank you," Sami said rather confused as she turned her body to hug Will back.

"I know, but I wanted to thank you for helping me keep my head up today." He smiled.

Sami smiled back and ran her hands through his hair. "I will always be in your corner. Things will be okay. No matter what happens." Sami hoped things would work out for Will.

* * *

><p>Chad began to listen to the song that Will dedicated to him on his phone. He decided to download it so that he could listen to it whenever he wanted. Chad began to sing along when he heard a knock at the door. Thinking it was his father, he yelled, "Go away!"<p>

Lexie knocked again and announced herself, "Chad, it's me, Lexie."

Chad immediately got up and opened the door. "Sorry, I thought you were father. Come in."

Lexie smiled and kissed Chad on the cheek. "Well, to be honest, our father did ask me to come up to talk to you, but you should know that I do not report back to him. I really do want to know what is going on, and I really want to help you."

Chad smiled. "I know I can trust you."

"So what's going on?" Lexie asked.

Chad thought about his relationship with Will. "You remember that talk we had in your office about Will?"

"I remember."

"Well, I've realized that what I feel for Will is stronger than anything I've ever felt for Abigail," Chad admitted. Chad realized his phone was still playing their song. "I think I'm in love with Will and I want to be with him." Chad looked at Lexie fearing that she might freak out on him.

Lexie had a sneaking suspicion that Chad felt that way about Will and smiled at the fact that Chad had finally realized it. "Have you told Will?"

Chad looked down. "I haven't told him recently how much he means to me because I want to set everything in order before I tell him how I feel in case I change my mind later. I don't want to hurt Will more than I already have."

Lexie sensed fear of committing to a homosexual relationship stopped Chad from telling Will how he felt. She remembered what Stefano said when she arrived. "Is leaving the family one of those things you have to do to be with Will?"

"It's not exactly necessary because I know Will loves me regardless of who my family is, but if I do choose Will, I feel like I don't belong in the family." Chad knew his father would be extremely disappointed. "Our family means the world to me and I hate that I have to lose that if I decide to be with Will."

Lexie took Chad's hands. "I assure you Chad that you will not lose your family if you decide to be with Will. I will always be your sister, and I am sure EJ would say the same – well, as a brother, of course." Lexie smiled as she continued, "And you know how much Theo, Johnny, and Sydney love their Uncle Chad."

"What about father?" Chad asked.

"I assure you that father loves you as well even if he has his own way of showing it." Lexie gave Chad a hug. "Don't let this fear of losing us get in the way of loving who you love because we are never going to let you go."

Chad smiled at Lexie as she always knew how to make him feel better about things. He scratched his head trying not to cry. "I don't know why I didn't come to you about this sooner." Chad and Lexie laughed together.

* * *

><p>Justin and Adrienne stood behind the bar as they watched Gabi, T, and Manny stand behind a few tables. All of them waited for Dario to arrive so they could yell surprise. Adrienne could not keep her eyes off of Manny. She turned to her husband and whispered, "I had no idea that Dario's brother was in town."<p>

Justin whispered back, "I had no idea that Dario had another brother. He seems nice though."

"Let's hope he's nothing like Rafe," she replied. Both looked away so they could focus on Dario coming through the door.

T looked over at Gabi and Manny. "So Dario is moving to Alaska to fish?"

Gabi nodded her head as she did not understand it. "Yeah, I don't know why he did this without talking to us."

Manny put his arm around Gabi's shoulders. "I think it's good that he's getting away. The pay is good and maybe after all this is over I'll see if I can get back into the shipping business."

"He's running away. It's never good to do that." Gabi disagreed with Manny and wish he would try to talk Dario out of it. "Is that our family's legacy? Always running away from our own damn problems?"

Manny put his index finger over his mouth to make Gabi stop talking as Dario was now outside the door. Once Dario walked in everyone yelled, "Surprise!"

Dario stepped back in shock and looked the place over. He realized there were no customers and the place was decorated. "So am I working tonight or not?"

Everyone laughed at Dario's response. Adrienne made her way to Dario to explain what was going on. "I closed the place down for the night so that we could celebrate one of my best workers ever." Adrienne gave him a hug and continued in his ear, "Even though you don't work here anymore, I want you to know that you will always have a place here as you are family."

"Thank you, boss." Dario looked out to everyone and raised his hand. "Thanks for doing this and being here. It really means a lot to me." As Dario looked around he noticed Sonny was not there. He wondered where he was.

After Gabi and T greeted Dario, they made their way to the pinball machine to play a few games. Justin and Adrienne went to grab the food and drinks for everyone to enjoy. Manny and Dario realized they were left alone. "Your boss seems really nice. I understand another reason you liked working here so much."

Dario still did not trust Manny. "I guess you're implying the other reason was Sonny. Why are you doing this? He's a good guy that you're only going to hurt if you keep this up."

"I'm doing this to protect you," Manny admitted. Manny examined Dario as he continued, "Remember when we all still lived at Mama's house scrapping for food? Mama got onto me because she knew I had gotten into drugs and gave me little food because she didn't want to waste food on someone who brought nothing to the family."

Dario did not understand why Manny was telling this story. "I remember. You and Mama started fighting and you ended up throwing the food on the ground, wasting food, just to piss her off."

"Yeah," Manny replied searching Dario's eyes for something. "Don't you remember what happened next? I went back to our bedroom and stayed in there because I felt so guilty. I was so hungry, but Mama made me realize that I was taking good food from all of you and setting a bad example. Then you came in there with your plate of food. You had eaten some of it, but handed the rest to me. I tried to make you keep it, but do you remember what you said to me?"

Dario remembered, but he did not want to repeat what he said. "I don't really understand why you want to talk about this."

"Because it's important, Dario!" Filled with concern, Manny pointed and touched Dario's chest with his index finger as he continued, "You… as a ten-year old boy told me that I needed the food more than you because you believed I would save the family one day. You told me that you loved me and that you hoped I would not waste my life away. I had never in my life seen someone with such a big heart." Manny gave Dario a serious look as he asked, "What happened to it, hermano? ¿Qué pasó con tu corazón?"

Dario looked away from Manny as Manny really got to him. "I lost it a long time ago when I realized how messed up this world is." Dario thought back to how the world seemed to do no favors for their family and then thought of his time in Salem. "I might have seen it recently, but then I decided I was better off without it. It only brings pain and disappointment."

Manny looked at Dario with sadness. He felt guilty that he disappointed Dario and wanted to make things up to him. "I always wanted something better for you."

Sonny walked into the Cheatin' Heart with a cake and a piñata. Dario and Sonny immediately made eye contact. Dario smiled at the fact that Sonny showed up. "Hey, Sonny."

Before Dario could say anything else, Manny walked over to Sonny and laughed at the piñata. "The piñata is a bit racist," Manny joked.

Dario sensed that Manny's joke made Sonny feel uncomfortable. Dario grabbed the piñata to help Sonny as he tried to put the cake down on the table. "Thanks for coming, Sonny."

"Yeah, I had to get some last-minute things so that's why I'm late." Sonny watched as Dario helped him set everything up. The thought of Dario leaving Salem made him feel heartsick.

Manny watched the way that Dario and Sonny looked at each other. He grabbed Sonny's hand to make sure they were okay. "I was joking about the piñata. I hope you know that. I think it's cute."

Sonny smiled back at Manny trying to ignore the pain he felt. "I know."

Gabi and T finished a game at the pinball machine. T looked over and noticed Manny and Sonny were holding hands. "Did you know that your older brother and Sonny are going out?"

Gabi looked over and spotted Manny and Sonny holding hands as well. She shook her head in disgust. "I'm going to pretend I did not see that for now. Now is not the perfect time to confront anything."

Adrienne and Justin finally walked out with food and drinks. They spotted Manny and Sonny holding hands as well. Adrienne looked back at Justin and whispered, "When did Sonny get here? And why is he holding Manny's hand?"

Justin felt awkward about Manny and Sonny holding hands. "Sonny did say he was dating an older guy. I guess Manny Hernandez is that older guy. This is very weird, but we can't really say anything to Sonny about it."

"Yeah. We have to support him and trust that he knows what he's doing," Adrienne whispered as they placed everything on the bar. Adrienne spoke louder so everyone could hear. "Foods and drinks are set up!" Everyone gathered to eat.

* * *

><p>After supper and games were over, Abigail walked Josh to the door while the others got ready for bed. Abigail opened the door so Josh could walk out. As he made his way out, Abigail called out to him. "Josh… thanks for coming. Goodnight, I guess."<p>

Josh stopped and turned around. "I noticed you seemed somewhere else tonight. I'm sorry if my intruding caused you to not enjoy everything."

Abigail went to grab Josh's hand when he came closer to her, but let it go as soon as she touched it. "I'm actually glad you came tonight. You really killed it in Pictionary." Abigail looked down as she thought of the reason she seemed elsewhere. Looking back at Josh, she confessed, "I think Chad is going to break up with me… I… I don't know why I told you that."

"Chad is an idiot if he does break up with you." When he saw Abigail's face light up, Josh went to stroke her cheek, but realized that might be overstepping. "I still care for you a lot and I've always considered you to be the one that got away," he admitted.

Abigail blushed. "Well, I'm not away anymore," she joked.

Things quickly got serious when Josh grabbed her hand and looked directly into her eyes. "I don't have to leave."

Abigail pulled Josh into a hug. "Thanks for saying all the right things."

"I'm just being honest." As they pulled away from their hug, Josh and Abigail directly made eye contact again as their noses touched. Josh pulled her closer and kissed her goodnight.


	60. Chapter 60 Sneaking Away

**Chapter 60: Sneaking Away – Sunday, August 7th, 2011-Monday, August 8th, 2011**

After his surprise party dwindled down, Dario grabbed a bag of trash to take it out to the dumpster. He made his way and threw the bag into the dumpster, when Sonny walked out with another trash bag. "Dario, what are you doing? You know that you're not supposed to do any work."

Dario tried to grab the trash bag from Sonny's hands, but Sonny would not let him. "Well, I'm still getting paid and I would feel guilty if I did not at least do one thing to help out."

After throwing his bag of trash in the dumpster, Sonny turned back to Dario to talk to him about his leaving. "Why did you not tell me about this new job?"

Dario looked around. "Where's Manny?"

Sonny gave Dario an annoyed look because he was avoiding his question. "He headed back to the apartment with Gabi and T so he could pack his things for the trip. So why didn't you tell me that you took this job in Alaska?"

Dario thought about the time he found Manny in Sonny's apartment. "I tried to tell you the other day, but I let my anger get the best of me when I saw that Manny was there."

Sonny remembered what happened and wished things had played out differently. "I'm sorry I didn't let you tell me. I wish you would reconsider and not go to Alaska. I'm really going to miss you." Sonny hoped his honesty would help Dario open up to the possibility of not going.

Not wanting to get sentimental, Dario tried to keep things light. "We should save all of this until the end of the trip. We don't want to be depressed while we're enjoying the ocean, right? Let's just have fun this week and when it's over we'll talk about this."

"Okay, we can talk about this later." Sonny gave Dario a hug wanting some kind of resolution to his feelings, but Dario did not hug him back. Feeling awkward Sonny removed himself from Dario.

"I'm tired. I should head home so I get as much sleep as possible before tomorrow." Dario smiled and walked inside to say goodnight to Adrienne and Justin.

* * *

><p>At the Dimera Mansion, Kate paced as she looked through her phone for someone to call. "There has to be someone who will help me."<p>

Chad walked in to drink a glass of water before he went to sleep. He noticed that Kate seemed stress. "Is something wrong?"

Kate did not want to worry Chad, but figured Chad might be able to help. "I am trying to find someone who can go on the trip and manage the yacht to make sure it stays on course. The yacht can maneuver itself for the most part, but I'd rather have someone on there that knows about boats. Your father told his men that the trip was off, so now they won't help me. Do you know anyone?"

"Not off the top of my head." Chad thought about everyone he knew as he poured himself a glass of water. "I can't really think of anyone. Does this mean the trip will be canceled?" Chad began to drink his water.

Kate shook her head. "This trip will happen. Don't worry. I will find someone by the time you guys sail out. If I don't, I'll do it myself as your father and I have sailed alone and he taught me how the system works." Kate looked through her contacts again. "You should get some rest. We wake up early tomorrow to head out."

"Well, I hope you find someone. Goodnight." Chad headed back to his room with his glass of water.

* * *

><p>Around three o'clock in the morning, everyone had gathered on the pier to leave. Sami dropped off Will and Sonny and took pictures of everyone going. After she left, everyone stood there waiting for when they could board the yacht.<p>

After saying goodbye to his parents, Sonny made his way to Kate to introduce her to Manny. "Kate, this is my… friend, Manny. Chad told us you were looking for someone to guide the boat. Manny happens to have experience with working with boats."

Kate smiled and put her hand out. "I'm Kate Dimera. Could you tell me more about your experience?"

Manny shook Kate's hand. "I used to be a boat and ship mechanic when I was younger, so I learned how everything worked."

Kate let out a sigh of relief. "If you could, follow me. This yacht is very high-tech which makes things so much easier. There's even this device you can carry around the ship to make sure it stays on course. My husband has some very intelligent men working for him."

"I'll see you in a bit," Sonny said as Manny and Kate disappeared into the yacht.

While Abigail called her mother to tell her they would be leaving soon, T began to joke with Will about his mother being there. "So do you think your mom will always come by to say goodbye to her baby boy every time you go on a trip? She went the whole nine yards and brought her digital camera to take pictures of everyone."

Gabi elbowed T in the gut. "Stop. I think it's cute. I wish my mom lived in Salem so that she could take pictures and see me off every time I went somewhere."

"Well, at least we'll have pictures of us half-awake," Will responded as he watched Chad talk to Josh. He wished that he and Chad were alone so they could talk.

Melanie and Nathan made their way over to Dario as they heard about his new job. Melanie kept her distance, but looked at Dario to let him know that she still cared about him. "So, Sonny told us earlier that you're moving to Alaska to take a job."

"Deep sea fishing, right? That's really dangerous… or at least that's what I've heard," Nathan said wondering if he and Melanie were the reason Dario decided to leave Salem.

"Yeah, I guess it can be dangerous. That's why you have to be on guard and know what you're doing." Dario felt a bit awkward talking to Melanie and Nathan about this. "All that matters is that I get a huge paycheck. It's worth the risk." Dario smiled to relieve the tension between the three of them.

Chad noted how Josh watched Abigail as she talked to her mother. "So you used to date Abigail in high school, right?"

Josh turned to Chad feeling a bit awkward after what happened the night before. "Yeah. Abby is a special girl, but I'm sure you already know that." Josh wondered if Chad would hint at wanting to break up with Abigail.

"Yeah," Chad answered as he spotted Will. He wanted to be with him, but he knew he could not do that yet.

Abigail walked over after hanging up with her mother. Seeing Josh and Chad talking together made her really uncomfortable. She thought back to kissing Josh the night before, which made her feel guilty for doing that behind Chad's back. She secretly hoped that Chad would break up with her. "I am so ready to sail out so that we can get this show on the road."

Right on cue, Kate, pulling a suitcase, walked over after leaving Manny in the captain's deck. "It's time to load the yacht. The faster we do all of this, the faster you guys can leave!" Kate motioned to the yacht. "I should also remind you that there are two rooms for the guys and one for the ladies. I've made sure to designate which is which."

* * *

><p>As Sami headed to her car after taking pictures, she walked by the Brady Pub and noticed that the lights were on. She looked at her watch wondering why they were on so early. She walked to the door and lightly knocked after spotting her grandmother sitting alone at a table.<p>

Caroline spotted Sami and let her in. "Sami, I just made some hot tea with milk. Do you want some?"

"No, thanks, grandma." Sami took a seat at the table with Caroline. "So why are you up?"

"I haven't been able to get much sleep lately," Caroline admitted.

"Why is that?" Sami asked knowing it probably had to do with Will and what she did to him.

"Worry is my guess," Caroline acknowledged. "Is Will okay?"

Sami nodded her head. "He's fine. He's going through a lot, but he's surviving. What you did to him was awful grandma and so unlike you. Do you realize how much that affected him?" Sami noticed that Caroline had nothing to say, so she continued, "Except for my wedding day, the reason I have avoided talking to you is because of what you did and how you used me to keep Sonny and Will apart."

Caroline looked up wondering about Will and Sonny. "Are they together now?"

Sami smirked and answered, "No, they're not because they are only friends. I should go so I can get some sleep before the kids wake up." Sami stood up to leave. "I love you and I do realize that everyone makes mistakes. Will should come around eventually, but you caused damage when you had nothing to worry about since Will and Sonny are just friends."

"I'm still worried," Caroline admitted as she looked down at her cup. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Sami gave her grandma one last look feeling bad for her. She walked out and headed to the Dimera Mansion.

* * *

><p>In the Captain's deck, which was quite spacious and had it's own bed, Manny looked over at the course they were supposed to follow on their trip. He smiled when he realized they were going in the direction they needed to. He pulled out his phone and dialed a number. When the other person answered, Manny spoke, "Things are going to work out after all. I can easily get the kids where you want them. … yeah, I'll call him after I hang up with you." Manny nervously laughed when the person responded. "You will finally get what you want from your enemies and everything will be better for all of us."<p>

* * *

><p>After seeing the yacht off, Kate yawned as she made it back to the Dimera Mansion with her small suitcase. When she walked in, she was greeted by Stefano. "Stefano."<p>

Stefano walked into the foyer clearly upset. "Where have you been?"

"I had some early morning business to take care of," Kate somewhat lied to Stefano.

Stefano noted Kate had a suitcase with her. "I checked Chad's room earlier and noticed that he is gone. Did you take Chad somewhere?"

"Chad is gone?" Kate asked giving a surprised look. "I don't know where Chad is."

Stefano's phone began to ring and he answered it. As the man on the other side spoke to him, Stefano began to glare at Kate. The man told Stefano that the yacht had gone missing. After hanging up, Stefano raised his hands in frustration. "You went on with Chad's trip behind my back! You will regret this Katherine. I am disappointed in you!"


	61. Chapter 61 Sailing

**Chapter 61: Sailing – Monday, August 8th, 2011**

Sonny made his way down to the captain's deck and overheard Manny mumbling something. He walked in and noticed Manny was standing there alone. "I thought I heard you talking to someone."

Manny quickly turned around and hid his phone in his pocket. "Oh… sometimes I talk to myself when I am trying to figure things out."

Sonny looked the place over and noticed Manny had his own bed. Sonny smiled and made his way over to Manny. Grabbing his hand, Sonny looked towards the bed. "I wonder if there is room for two."

Manny wondered if that was a good idea. "I don't know. I don't want you down here with me all the time," he admitted. Manny needed the place to himself so he could make calls.

Sonny let go of Manny's hand. "What's going on? Do you not want to be with me anymore?"

"No, that's not it," Manny said as he grabbed Sonny's hand. "I just want to make sure that you have fun. If you stay down here with me all the time, you might miss out on some things."

Sonny appreciated Manny's concern. "You're really sweet, but didn't Kate mention some kind of device you can use all over the boat wirelessly? I want you to have fun as well."

"I will have fun because you're here." Manny pulled Sonny into a kiss to prove that he was interested in him.

* * *

><p>At the Dimera Mansion, Stefano and Kate continued to argue about Kate sending the kids off on the trip. "You purposely went behind my back and still had Chad's week-long yacht party!"<p>

Kate shook her head at Stefano. "That's not necessarily true. You canceled that trip, so I planned a trip for Will. It's a late graduation present."

"That's bull and you know it!" Stefano yelled.

Having heard screaming, Sami and EJ walked in wondering why Kate and Stefano were arguing. EJ made his way to his father. "Calm down father, what is going on?"

"My wife has gone against me and has sent Chad and William away with their friends on a week-long trip. I can't call up and cancel the trip because that will only make things worse between Chad and me." Stefano gave Kate a disappointed look. "You know good and well that I don't want Chad anywhere near William."

Sami stood up to Stefano. "I saw them off and everyone seemed excited about the trip. I think it's good that they're getting out of Salem for a while before school starts." Sami thought about how Stefano told Will off on Saturday. "I want to know why you have a problem with my son!"

Full of rage, Stefano decided to explain the situation to Sami. "I caught my son, Chad, kissing your son twice. There's no way in hell I'm going to let that happen." Stefano noticed Sami began to smile when he told her that he caught Will and Chad together. "Wipe that smile off your face!"

EJ stood between Sami and Stefano. "Father, I thought we had this figured out last night when we talked about this. Remember how you did not want Chad to be bullied or mistreated? I thought I made it clear that your behavior was doing just that."

Hearing EJ explain his conversation with Stefano made Kate realize that Stefano did not hate homosexuality, but feared what would happen to his son when others found out. Placing her hand on his shoulder, she gave Stefano a loving look. "My love, I understand that you don't want anyone to mistreat your son, but that does not mean you should try to stop him from loving Will. Chad and Will really do love each other, and I can tell they want to be with each other."

"Kate's right," Sami paused as she let her statement sink in. She continued, "They're probably together right now because they don't have to worry about any of the stresses their relationship brings from outside reactions."

"I wouldn't count on that," EJ stated. "With the way father has treated Chad lately, Chad probably is afraid of feeling what he feels for Will and might not act on it."

Everyone looked to Stefano making him feel pressured into fixing things. "I've had enough of this talk of how we should allow Chad to ruin his life." Stefano turned to Kate. "Stay away from me. I don't even want to look at you because I can't talk to my son now!" Stefano left the room.

Kate felt guilty for jumping the gun on Chad's trip now that she understood where Stefano stood on the gay issue. She took a seat and wondered if she would be able to repair her relationship with Stefano.

* * *

><p>Abigail and Chad looked over the railing as the yacht moved through the water. It was the first time they had been alone in a while. Abigail turned to Chad. "Gabi and Melanie went straight to sleep once they saw the bed. How did the rooming assignments work out for the guys?"<p>

"Well, I am in the master bedroom with Nathan, Sonny, and Will. The other guy's room has Dario, Josh, and T." Chad turned to Abigail and continued, "I hoped that the other room would get four guys, while my room would get only two others, but it makes sense considering my room is bigger."

"Yeah," Abigail said unsure of what to say next. Abigail and Chad made eye contact causing both of them to feel guilty. Abigail felt guilty for kissing Josh. Chad felt guilty for kissing Will and wanting to be with him. They both wondered if now was the time for them to talk about their relationship. "So you wanted to talk to me about our relationship?"

Before Chad could respond, Will walked up and noticed the view. "This is beautiful." Will turned to Abigail and Chad with a smile.

"Yes, the view is nice." Abigail glared at Will wishing he would go away.

Chad smiled at Will. "Is anyone sleeping in our room?"

Will noticed Abigail's glare and felt a bit uncomfortable. He turned to Chad to answer his question. "Actually, our room is empty as most of the guys are hanging out in the other guys' room.

Chad looked over to Abigail. "I'm kind of tired. I don't know if I should sleep for a bit, so I have more energy to do stuff later."

Abigail looked Chad over. "I think you should as I am about to do the same." Abigail took Chad's hand and kissed him. She looked at Will and noticed that he looked away. She smiled believing she got her point across that she wanted Will to back off. "Enjoy your nap."

Chad pretended he was going to say goodnight to Will as he watched Abigail disappear. Chad turned to Will and smiled. "I only told her that so she would leave."

Will smiled back at Chad. "I'm glad we are alone."

Chad felt bad that Will had to see him kiss Abigail. He placed his hand on Will's hand which rested on the railing. "I really want to kiss you right now."

Will blushed at the thought. "Do I have to dare you?" Will teased.

Chad bit his lip. "Maybe…"

Will moved in closer as he began to dare Chad, but he stopped when T and Nathan walked over. Will noticed that Chad distanced himself from him when Chad spotted them. "Hey guys."

T looked down at the water. "This is going to be so much fun. I did the cruise with my family and Kinsey the beginning of the summer, but now I get to do this with my friends. I'm pretty sure I am going to enjoy this trip more."

Chad looked around. "Where's Sonny, Dario, and Josh?"

"I think Sonny went to talk to Manny, while Dario and Josh seemed set on taking a nap," Nathan shared.

Hearing Sonny's name, T thought he would be funny. "Will, would you ever hook up with Sonny? You're both gay." T began to laugh as Chad nervously laughed as well. "How would that work?" T attempted to imagine what that would look like and grossed himself out. "That just doesn't seem natural." T's comment hit Chad hard, making him look towards the water again.

Nathan noticed that Chad and Will began to feel uncomfortable. He decided he needed to get T away from them. "T, we should check out the kitchen. See what kind of snacks they have in there."

"I like how you think, Nathan." T patted Will on the back. "I hope you know I was only joking."

"I know," Will tried to smile noting how Chad seemed uncomfortable.

* * *

><p>Sonny stood up and walked over to the computers to check them out. "I've never actually seen how boats work which is surprising considering where I've been," Sonny admitted.<p>

Manny quickly became nervous as he did not want Sonny to see their route before he had the chance to change it. He had to think fast. "Sonny," he said as he pulled him closer to him. "How about we have a little fun?" Manny began to kiss Sonny and pulled him on the bed with him.

"I definitely find you more interesting than those computers!" Sonny exclaimed as he mounted Manny and lifted Manny's shirt off.

Manny could not believe he was doing this, but he needed to distract Sonny. He pulled off Sonny's shirt and pulled him in close so that their bodies touched each other. "You are so sexy, Sonny. I really like you." Manny pulled Sonny off of him and began to unbutton Sonny's shorts. When he pulled them down he noticed how excited Sonny was. "You really want to do this, don't you?"

Sonny nodded his head and mounted Manny again and began to kiss his chest and nipples. "You must have worked out hard to get a body like this." Sonny smiled and continued to kiss Manny's chiseled abs while undoing his shorts.

Suddenly, Dario walked in hoping to talk to his brother, but freaked out when he saw what they were doing. He jumped back against the wall. "What the hell? What the hell are you two doing?"

Manny and Sonny separated. Sonny put his shorts back on. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to talk to my brother." Dario could not believe that they were in the process of having sex together. He could not believe that Manny was actually going through with it and that Sonny seemed so eager to sleep with Manny. "You guys are disgusting!" Dario hurriedly ran out of the room not wanting to see the two of them like that.

Sonny looked at Manny and noticed that Manny would not look at him. "Manny, are you okay?"

Manny thought of an idea. He pretended to feel guilty about what just happened. "I'm sorry, but I feel really bad now. I feel guilty, ashamed, and disgusting because of what Dario said just now. Sometimes I doubt what I feel for you because of some of the things he says... like when he called me a fag the other day."

Sonny could not believe that Dario would do that and then remembered Dario using the same word when he first met him. Sonny took a seat next to Manny on the bed. "Don't listen to him. He doesn't know what he's talking about."

Manny placed his hand on Sonny's cheek. "Could you talk to him? I don't think there's anything I could say to make him change his mind."

"Sure. I'll talk to him." Sonny put on his shirt to go after Dario.

"Thanks." Manny smiled inside because his plan worked to get Sonny out of the captain's deck. He could change the course now.

* * *

><p>Abigail walked into the girls' room, and after changing into her pajamas she accidentally tripped causing Gabi and Melanie to wake up. After turning on the lights, Gabi turned to Abigail. "This bed is amazingly comfortable and it's so big. I think it's bigger than a king size. You have to get in and try it."<p>

Abigail got in bed. "Wow, this is comfortable."

Melanie looked at the bed. "This bed is so big, I think we could fit one more person on here and still have room to move around. I know the guys' rooms have two beds each, but they're smaller."

Gabi agreed. "Not that I don't mind sharing a bed with you two, but we should try to mix up the rooms so that it's not all gender based."

Abigail and Melanie gave Gabi a look. Melanie nudged Gabi and asked, "Are you and T serious now?"

"Well, I guess. We haven't had the talk yet, but it seems to be going that way." Gabi thought about T. "I really do like spending time with him." Gabi began to blush as she admitted, "Even though I was mad at him about the Kinsey debacle, I did enjoy the sex."

Abigail and Melanie covered their mouths in shock. "Gabi Hernandez, did I just hear you right?" Abigail and Melanie began to laugh.

"What can I say? T is good at taking control and helping me feel relaxed." Gabi thought about her relationship with Will. "When I was with Will I felt so much stress and pressure to make sure everything was perfect. I didn't know being with someone could feel so good."

Hearing Gabi describe her relationship with Will made Abigail think of her relationship with Chad. She reflected on how jealous she felt when Will joined them on deck. She knew she wanted Chad to break up with her, but when she saw Will she let something else take control to push Will away from Chad. Thinking about the stress and pressure she felt, Abigail began to cry.

Melanie and Gabi moved around the bed to comfort Abigail. Melanie put her hand on Abigail's shoulder. "What's wrong, Abigail? Why are you crying?"

Abigail wiped the tears from her face and looked up. "I'm in too deep with Chad and I'm afraid to just walk away." Abigail thought about the guilt she felt and continued to cry. "Josh kissed me last night and I enjoyed it," she admitted. "I was able to escape everything I felt for Chad and it felt good."

"Abigail, do you even really want to be with Chad?" Melanie asked.

"I don't," Abigail confessed. "…but I feel like I have to be with him because I've wasted so much energy on him. I don't want to give up on everything I've put into our relationship."

Speaking from experience, Gabi gave Abigail a side hug. "End it because you will only lose yourself if you keep putting more and more. Trust me, I know from what happened between me and Will."

Abigail thought about it and knew the girls were right. "Thanks." Abigail wiped her face and yawned. "Can I just sleep on this? I'm tired." Melanie and Gabi agreed and turned off the lights so they could sleep.

* * *

><p>After Nathan and T walked off, Will and Chad stood on deck by the jacuzzi in silence. While looking out at the water, Chad finally spoke to Will feeling a bit better after what T said earlier. "This trip is a good get away from everything going on back home, but I know that it's only temporary. I don't want to set myself up to feel miserable when I get back home." He continued as he turned to Will, "The thing about running away is that life has a way of pulling one back to reality."<p>

Will realized Chad did hear the song. "So you heard my dedication to you on the radio?"

"Yeah, smart move on your part," Chad remarked with a smile. Taking Will's hand again, he got serious. "Will, I want you to know that you're more than an escape to me even though you can help me escape the pressures I feel from my father and Abigail. You're life to me. I know that much. I just don't know how that will look, whether it's a romantic relationship or a friendship. Please be patient with me."

Will squeezed Chad's hand. "I will. The last thing I want you to do is feel pressure from me because like I said, I will always be here for you."

Dario ran up on deck wanting some fresh air because he felt betrayed by Sonny and Manny. He hated himself for feeling jealous because he did not want to have feelings for Sonny. Because he was so deep in his thoughts, he did not realize he had interrupted a moment between Chad and Will until he spotted them. "I'm sorry. I did not see you guys there. I'll let you guys continue what you were talking about alone."

Before Dario could head back, Sonny stopped him in his tracks. "What the hell is wrong with you? I thought you were better than this. I don't know what I ever saw in you. You promise me you won't say that word to me again, but then you say it to your brother?"

"I am so sorry, Sonny. I shouldn't have freaked out like that, but it just caught me off guard." Dario still did not understand why his brother was giving him crap for his feelings for Sonny before. Why was Manny okay with allowing his own feelings for Sonny to be acted upon? Dario tried to hold Sonny's arm, but Sonny would not allow it. "Are we still trying to enjoy the trip since I'm leaving Salem next Monday? I don't want things to end on a bad note for us so please forgive me."

Sonny stepped back as he remembered this was the last week he would get to hang out with Dario. He felt bad for blowing up at Dario and saying those awful things to him. He felt so conflicted as his feelings for Dario returned. He felt guilty for having those feelings while dating his brother, Manny. Manny could reciprocate those feelings, while Dario could not. "I'm sorry… I can't do this right now." Sonny turned his back on Dario and headed to his room. He did not want to see Dario or Manny at the moment.

Tears filled Dario's eyes as he gave one last look to Chad and Will. His eyes were filled with such deep sadness as he looked at them giving them both chills. "I'll leave you guys alone." Dario wiped his face and headed to the bathroom.

Chad turned back to Will. The look in Dario's eyes really affected him and made him think of the pain he may have caused Will. "I don't ever want to experience what we just saw, and I am sorry if I ever made you feel like that. I hope we can always come together and not run away from each other from now on."

Will gave Chad a hug. "It's okay, Chad. I will always love you, and I'm not going anywhere."

Chad wanted to tell Will that he loved him as well, but he feared that if he said it he might hurt Will in the end if he could not return those feelings to Will. He did not want Will to experience what he saw between Dario and Sonny. "Thanks, Will." Chad separated from Will even though he felt the pull that told him to keep hanging on. "I should take a nap. You should, too."

Will looked away and agreed. "Are we sharing a bed?"

"I don't think we should do that now. Do you mind sharing with Sonny?" Chad felt bad for asking, but figured it was for the best as he was still technically with Abigail.

"I don't mind. That's fine." Will grabbed Chad's hand for a moment and squeezed it. After letting go, they headed back to their bedroom on the yacht.


	62. Chapter 62 Split Screen Sadness

**Chapter 62: Split-Screen Sadness – Monday, August 8th, 2011**

Abe walked into Roman's office at the Salem Police Department to check how things were going. "Any good news coming my way about any of your current investigations? You know that the people love to hear when a case has been solved."

"Well, I think we're close to solving that string of burglaries at Salem Place. Finally caught the culprit on tape without his mask." Roman felt rather pleased with himself.

"That's good to hear." Abe took a seat across from Roman. "So what about the man who died in the park? Any leads there?"

"Well, now that you mention it, we did stumble across something interesting." Roman pulled out a file and handed it to Abe. As Abe looked through the file, Roman explained what they discovered, "We do not know who the murderer is yet, but we did find a connection between that man and Rafe. His name is Dante De Luca. He worked at Salem State Penitentiary where Rafe was serving out his sentence. The reason it took us so long to find his identity is because he lives two towns over and drives into work."

Abe looked at the information they had gathered so far on Dante. "Do you think the deaths are connected?"

"Absolutely. I don't think it's a coincidence that Abigail claimed to see EJ and Chad with him weeks before his death and then Rafe, a man we both know the Dimeras despise, ends up committing suicide." Roman wished that Abigail had not recounted her statement. It would have made things easier.

"I want you to leave Abigail out of this as I don't want to put her in a place where she could get in trouble," Abe requested. "Do you have any other way of finding out if you can connect these two deaths?"

"Well, I would like to question EJ and Chad again, but I doubt they would cooperate. We really have nothing to hold them." Roman thought about other possibilities. "I guess I could reach out to Rafe's family and see if they heard anything from Rafe before he committed suicide."

Abe stood up and handed the file back to Roman. "Well, do what you have to do. Just make an arrest soon. I want the people of Salem to feel safe again."

* * *

><p>EJ and Sami sat on the floor with Johnny and Sydney in the living room at the Dimera Mansion as they played. EJ helped Sydney solve a puzzle as Sami drove cars around the floor and coffee table with Johnny. Johnny stopped his mother from driving her car because he wanted to ask her something. "Mommy. Why does my Nonno hate Will and Chad?"<p>

EJ and Sami looked at each other before Sami responded. "Johnny, what are you talking about? Nonno does not hate Will and Chad."

Johnny looked at both of his parents. "I heard him screaming this morning about them. Did they do something wrong?"

EJ helped Sydney place a piece on the puzzle board and grabbed Johnny so he could sit on his lap. "Sometimes Nonno doesn't agree with everything Chad and Will do. He just let us know he did not agree with them loudly this morning, but he does not hate them. He's upset, but he still loves them."

"What did they do wrong? Did they get grounded like me?" Johnny asked as he looked up at his father.

Sami reached out and grabbed Johnny's hand. "Johnny, sweety, Chad and Will did nothing wrong. They just had a disagreement with your nonno."

"About what? What are they doing that makes Nonno so mad?" Johnny did not understand how Stefano could get upset when Chad and Will did nothing wrong.

Sami and EJ looked at their son and did not know how to respond. Stefano stood in the foyer in silence as he heard Johnny's questions. He began to feel guilty for how Johnny perceived his anger. It finally sank in that Chad most likely perceived his anger the same way.

* * *

><p>In the kitchen of the Dimera Yacht, Melanie and Gabi were making food and snacks for their first night party. Josh, Nathan, T, Abigail, and Sonny sat at the table deciding what they wanted to do for the party. "I think we should dance tonight and set the snacks and stuff in here so the birds don't try to eat it," Nathan suggested.<p>

Josh stood up. "Sounds like a plan. I'll go ahead and start setting up my equipment so we can party it up tonight."

Nathan and T stood up as well. "We'll help you set up." Nathan, T, and Josh left the kitchen.

Sonny sat at the table with only Abigail now. "Do you girls need any help with anything?"

Melanie turned to answer Sonny, "No, I think Gabi and I have everything covered."

Manny walked in and took a seat next to Sonny. Manny kissed Sonny on the cheek. "I'm feeling a lot better."

Gabi turned around and saw how close Sonny and Manny were. After giving Manny a disgusted look, she turned back around and whispered to Melanie. "I'm so disappointed in my brother."

Melanie turned around and saw the same thing. She whispered back, "I had no idea that Sonny was dating your brother. How do they even know each other?"

Gabi shrugged her shoulders. "I have no idea."

Sonny watched as Manny put his hand on his lap to rub Sonny's inner thigh. Manny seemed to want to finish what they started earlier, but Sonny could not stop thinking about Dario. Sonny grabbed Manny's hand and kissed it as he tried to forget Dario and move on. "I feel better now that you're here." Sonny forced a smile.

Abigail watched as her cousin flirted with Manny. She thought it was weird, but figured she would get used to it. She smiled at both of them to remind them that there were other people present. "So when are we going to have our first stop?"

Manny turned his attention from Sonny to Abigail to answer. "I think we were scheduled to arrive at our first stop Wednesday evening, but I think we might arrive earlier than expected." He decided to skip out on giving the detail that he made the yacht go faster than it was supposed to.

Chad walked in and scratched his head. He felt a bit awkward looking at Abigail knowing what he had to do. "Where is everyone else?"

"Nathan, T, and Josh are setting up for the party tonight and I have no idea where Dario and Will are," Sonny answered.

"I think Will decided to take a shower." Chad noticed that Abigail's facial expression seemed to change when he mentioned Will's name. Chad took a seat next to her. "Hey. Did you sleep well?"

Abigail did not look at Chad as she thought about her conversation with Gabi and Melanie earlier. "Yeah. I slept okay."

Manny noticed that things were awkward and people were purposely not saying much to each other. "Wow. You can cut the tension and awkwardness in here with a knife."

Sonny realized that Manny's joke only made things worse as everyone remained quiet. "You're not going to believe what happened the other day," he started hoping to make things less awkward. "Will and I were grabbing a bite to eat when this kid and his mother walked in arguing about something. The kid pulled down his pants in front of everyone and told his mother to kiss his ass. The kid couldn't have been older than eight."

Everyone laughed at Sonny's story. Melanie shook her head. "That's funny, but poor mom. Where does a kid learn that from?"

Sonny smiled as he got everyone talking again. He did not want to tell them that his story actually did not happen to him. He just happened to read a FML on his phone earlier.

* * *

><p>Will walked by the other guys' bedroom and spotted Dario sitting alone. He walked in and greeted Dario. Thinking about the Dario's argument with Sonny earlier, he asked, "Mind if I join you?"<p>

"Sure. What's everyone doing?" Dario asked trying to make conversation.

"I'm not sure. I haven't been out there since I took a nap." Will sat on a bed. "Are you okay? I noticed that you seemed hurt earlier."

Dario looked down as he remembered catching Sonny and Manny together and then Sonny yelling at him for freaking out about it. "It was nothing."

Will knew Dario lied. "Do you love him?"

Dario looked at Will. "Who?"

"Sonny."

Dario looked away again. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Does it hurt to see Sonny with your brother?" Will asked knowing it must have some effect on him.

Dario shook his head as he thought about Manny and Sonny's so-called relationship. "It doesn't make sense because my brother is a huge homophobe and Sonny told me that he loved me not too long ago."

Will could hear pain in Dario's voice. "It must hurt you that Sonny has been able to move on so quickly."

Dario thought about what Will had to say and tears began to form in his eyes. He realized another reason it hurt so much to see Manny and Sonny close to having sex. Dario forced himself to stop crying. "You're right. Sonny never loved me."

"That's not true, Dario." Will realized that Dario misinterpreted what he said. "Sonny loves you. I know."

Dario did not want to talk about Sonny anymore. "I don't want to talk about it, Will. Can I just be left alone?"

Will stood up as he did not want to push Dario any further. "Yeah. I'll see you up there later."

Before Will could leave, Dario called out to him. "Will. Just so you know, I'm not gay. Okay?"

Will felt bad for Dario. "Okay." Will walked out leaving Dario alone.

* * *

><p>Jennifer, Daniel, Adrienne, and Justin met together for dinner at Buddy's Burger Barn. Jennifer looked at her double deluxe explosion and smiled, "It's been forever since I've had one of these. I wonder if it still tastes the same."<p>

Daniel could not believe Jennifer loved this place. "I'd be amazed if you could eat that whole thing."

"Oh, she can. I've seen it." Adrienne smiled.

Justin ate a fry. "I wonder if Sonny and Abigail are having a good time on that trip."

After swallowing her first bite, Jennifer replied, "I think so. Although I am not sure that she and Chad are doing well at the moment. She seemed somewhere else during Sunday supper."

"Yeah, I noticed that as well." Daniel said before taking a drink.

"I remember being that young. Relationships seemed so complicated back then, and I always believed it would get easier as you grew up, but I was wrong." Adrienne laughed as she winked at Justin. The others joined in.

"Well, at least we grew together." Justin thought about Sonny dating Manny. "Sonny told us – I think it was last week – that he is dating an older man. It's a bit awkward because they're about ten years apart or so. Sonny is 19 and I think Manny is…" Justin looked to Adrienne to see if she knew.

"He's 29. So exactly 10 years," Adrienne finished.

Daniel and Jennifer looked at each other. "Age doesn't really matter as long as they work together. Does Sonny seem to like the guy?"

"I think so. They seemed awfully close during Dario's farewell party." Adrienne wanted Sonny to be happy, but his relationship with Manny still made her uncomfortable. "The issue Justin and I have is that we don't know much about the guy."

"Yeah, all we know is that he's 29 and Dario and Gabi's older brother," Justin added.

"Wait. Dario and Gabi have another brother?" Jennifer asked quite surprised. Daniel was surprised as well.

"Yeah, I guess that would make him younger than Rafe and older than Arianna," Adrienne put together. Adrienne wondered if there was any way they could find out more about Manny.

"We're hoping he is like Dario because Dario's a good guy." Justin did not want Manny to be dangerous like Rafe was.

* * *

><p>Back on the yacht, everyone enjoyed the music that Josh put together as the DJ, but no one had hit the dance floor yet. With some encouragement from Josh, Gabi, T, Nathan, and Melanie began to dance. The others stood there and watched. Sonny wrapped his arms around Manny's right arm hinting that he wanted to dance, but Manny just stood there.<p>

Abigail felt a bit awkward because she wanted to dance as well. She had no one to dance with though because Josh was the DJ, and she did not feel comfortable dancing with Chad because they were most likely about to break up. She noticed that Sonny wanted to dance, but Manny was not budging either.

Manny pulled his arm from Sonny's grasp and held his hand causing Sonny to believe they were about to dance. "I'm going to check on the yacht and charge this controller. You have fun." Manny let go of Sonny's hand and headed to the captain's deck.

Sonny turned around to face the others and saw Dario looking at him. He looked away from Dario to avoid having to talk to him because the guilt ate at him. Sonny looked over at Abigail and took her hand. "Want to dance?"

Abigail smiled. "Of course. Let's get out there." Sonny led Abigail to dance. Not knowing much about Sonny's relationship with Manny, Abigail decided to ask about it. "So, you and Manny came out of nowhere."

Sonny smiled. "Yeah. I really like him, but I am not sure where our relationship will lead. He seems like he's into me though, so I guess that's a good sign." Sonny thought about how he and Dario messed around once when he stayed the night, but knew that Dario regretted it. He decided to put the focus on Abigail. "So you and Chad seem really awkward. What's going on there now?"

"I don't really want to talk about it." Abigail turned her head and spotted Will giving Chad a look. She rolled her eyes as she turned back to Sonny. "Will can't keep his eyes off of Chad. It annoys me so much because I can see he really cares for Chad, and I don't want to accept it. Even though I understand he can't really help it, sometimes I wish he would just back off."

Sonny looked over at Chad and Will. "Well, Chad is the same way with Will. He can't keep his eyes off of Will either." Sonny turned back to Abigail. "Does that bother you?"

Abigail turned back to Sonny with tears in her eyes, but did not want to dwell on her hurt. "I guess it just goes to show I have the worse gaydar in the world," she tried to joke.

Sonny could tell that Abigail was trying to make light of the situation, but her tears said it differently. "Are you going to be okay?"

Abigail forced a smile. "I'll be fine. I have other good things in my life. I'll survive because I'm a Horton." Realizing that she said her mother's maiden name instead of her father's last name, made Abigail feel a bit worse about everything. She realized that she had given up on her father as well.

As Abigail and Sonny continued to talk and dance, Gabi and T headed back to the others who just stood there. Gabi pulled on her brother. "Dario, let's dance."

Dario smiled and headed to the dance floor to dance with his sister. "I'll show T how it's done."

T, Chad, and Will watched as Dario and Gabi headed to the dance floor. Chad and Will stood away from each other to allow space. They did not want to put themselves in a position that they might regret later. T picked up on the awkwardness between them. "Are you guys okay?"

Chad glanced at Will. "Yeah, we're fine. Just watching the others dance I guess."

"Yeah, we all don't have girlfriends to dance with out there," Will added causing Chad to feel a bit uncomfortable.

T put his arm around Will. "I guess you're right, but we could dance if you wanted," T joked.

Will laughed nervously. "I don't know about that."

"Here's the problem though. Who would be the guy and who would be the girl?" T asked honestly.

"Why does one need to be the guy and the other the girl?" Chad asked giving T a bit of attitude.

"I guess what I'm really asking is who would lead?" T countered noticing that Chad seemed annoyed with him. "I've never seen two dudes dance together for real. How does that work?"

Chad looked at Will and noticed that Will felt a bit uncomfortable with T's questions. Chad gave T an irritated look, "So are you going to dance with Will or not?"

"I'm not gay," T responded as he removed his arm from Will. He turned to Will to add, "No offense Will."

Will looked away wanting to avoid any conflict. "None taken."

"You're a chicken," Chad said back to T.

"I'm a chicken? I bet you won't do it." T challenged Chad.

Will's attention turned to Chad to see what he would say. Chad froze and did not know what to say. Will realized that Chad would never dance with him in public and even though he tried to not let it get to him, Will felt a tad rejected. "I think I am too tired to dance with anyone anyway. I'm going to call it a night," Will announced.

Chad's heart sank when Will walked off. He felt bad for letting Will down.


	63. Chapter 63 The Broken Clock

**Chapter 63: The Broken Clock – Tuesday, August 9th, 2011**

Lexie and Daniel stood at the coffee station to enjoy a short break before having to check on some patients. Lexie took a sip of her coffee. "How are things going with you and Jennifer?"

"Great. Things are really good with us. We spend a lot of alone time, but we also get to bring our families together which is a good thing." Daniel took a sip of his coffee.

Lexie smiled. "Sounds like Melanie and Abigail are getting along and are okay with the idea of you and Jennifer."

Daniel nodded his head. "They do get a long. I think it's cool that they seem to be the best of friends. Makes things a lot easier for Jen and me. Although, sometimes I do get the feeling that it's hard for Abigail to see Jennifer with someone who isn't her father. I don't really know how JJ feels about it though."

All of a sudden, Roman walked in with a couple of EMT's rolling Caroline on a gurney. Lexie and Daniel rushed over to find out what happened. "Roman, what happened?"

Roman kept his attention on his mother as he spoke. "We were talking and having coffee at the Brady Pub. Her speech suddenly became slurred and then she collapsed. She's been unconscious since then."

Daniel thanked the EMT's. "Thanks, guys. Let's take her to room 112." Daniel and the EMT's left with Caroline.

Lexie tried to comfort Roman. "Roman, we need to know if she had any symptoms before she collapsed like the slurred speech. Did you notice anything else."

Roman struggled on focusing as he could not stop worrying about his mother. "I don't know. I think she mentioned she had a migraine and she claimed to be really stressed about something. I don't know what it was though. She also said she had problems with sleeping."

Roman wanted to follow Caroline into her room, but Lexie would not let him. "Roman, stay here. Daniel and I will come back when we know what's going on. You should call your family and let them know what happened." Lexie rushed over to talk to Daniel about Caroline's symptoms. She feared that Caroline had a stroke.

* * *

><p>At the Dimera Mansion, Sami and EJ sat down in the living room to discuss Johnny's curiosity the day before. "What are we going to do the next time Johnny asks about Chad and Will? Do we tell him that they're gay? Does he even know what gay means?" Sami looked at EJ with a concerned look on her face. She understood that they needed to explain things to him, but she feared he still would not understand it.<p>

"I'm not sure what to do in this situation either, Samantha," EJ admitted. "Do we tell Allie and Sydney as well?"

"I just have this feeling that maybe they're too young at this point to know how Chad and Will feel about each other." Sami grabbed a photo of the kids from the table to look at them.

"I think Johnny and Allie are old enough to understand. Have you talked to Lucas about this?" EJ wondered if Lucas might have already told Allie.

"No, we didn't even think about this. It caught me off guard when Johnny started asking questions. Do you think he's noticed anything between Will and Chad?" Sami feared that Johnny knew more than she thought. "I don't want to confuse him as I don't think he fully grasps the different types of love. I don't want him to confuse family love with romantic love."

"Maybe we should wait a few years then, but keep our eye on the kids to make sure that they talk to us if they have any questions," EJ suggested.

Sami agreed. "I'll make sure I talk to Lucas about what to do with Allie." Sami put the picture back down when her phone started to ring. She looked to see who was calling. "It's my dad. I bet he's trying to question me again about the connection between Rafe and the informant like he did last night." Sami answered the phone, "I already told you that I don't know anything about Rafe and that man." Sami also did not care to talk to her father since he skipped out on her wedding.

"Sami, I'm not calling on business. I'm calling about your grandmother," Roman said on the other side. "Your grandmother is in the hospital because she collapsed at the Pub. I'm here waiting for Lexie or Daniel to tell me what happened."

Sami felt bad for attacking her father and looked at EJ in shock. "I will get there as fast as I can. I will see you soon." Sami hung up and looked at EJ. "We need to get to the hospital now."

EJ and Sami stood up. "What's going on, sweetheart?"

"My grandmother Caroline is in the hospital. She collapsed at the Brady Pub." EJ took Sami's hand and they left to head for the hospital.

* * *

><p>Dario walked down to the Captain's deck to talk to his brother. When Manny spotted Dario, he went on defense mode. "Dario, what are you doing here? Are you here to chew my head off again?"<p>

"Calm down," Dario replied. "I just came here to talk to you."

"About Sonny, right? It's always about Sonny." Manny looked at Dario with disappointment.

"Yes, it's partially about Sonny," Dario said as he thought about what he walked in on the day before. "Manny, I want to know if you're gay. I mean, I didn't think so at first, but when I walked in on you and Sonny in the process of having sex I realized that maybe I was wrong to accuse you of playing games with Sonny."

"I am not gay," Manny spouted off as soon as Dario was done talking. "I just happen to like to sleep with guys sometimes. I'm just like you."

Dario ignored Manny's last comment. "So you're not gay, but you're just sleeping with him? Don't you realize that Sonny thinks more is happening here? Why are you leading him on?"

"I'm not leading Sonny on. I think Sonny is having fun with all of this as well." Manny looked his brother over knowing that he was in fact leading Sonny on. He did not want to admit it to Dario though. "Bro, you need to get over Sonny. I think it's good that you're leaving Salem because you can get away from all of this."

"I still think you need to let Sonny go. You're going to hurt him if you just want sex from him." Dario felt bad for Sonny. "His last boyfriend did that to him and it hurt him. Please let him go."

"I can't. I'm not done with him," Manny said. "I'll end it when the fun is over."

Dario looked at his brother and tried to read him. He did not trust his brother would do the right thing. Dario wondered if he should do something about it instead.

* * *

><p>Melanie, Nathan, Sonny, Abigail, and Josh enjoyed sitting in the jacuzzi for a bit. Abigail turned to Josh and told him she was ready to get out and just relax in the sun. Josh stood up and helped Abigail out. As they got out, Chad, T, Gabi, and Will walked out to see Josh holding Abigail's hand.<p>

Will looked at Chad to make sure he was okay. "He's just helping her out," he said softly so that only Chad could hear him.

"We should get in," Gabi said as she grabbed T's arm.

As T and Gabi got in the jacuzzi, Sonny turned to Will and yelled, "You should get in, Will. There's room for you right here." Sonny motioned next to him.

Will looked at Chad to see if he wanted to do something else, but Chad motioned for him to go ahead. Will turned back to Sonny and took off his shirt. "Okay. I'll sit by you."

Chad watched as Will got in. He did not want Will to feel like he had to be with him all the time. Chad then turned to Josh and Abigail as they walked up to him. "How is it?"

"It feels good," Josh answered. He looked back and scratched his chest. "I'm thirsty."

"I'll grab water bottles for everyone," Abigail volunteered.

Chad saw this as an opportunity to talk to Abigail. "I'll help you."

Josh was about to help, but figured that he would let Abigail and Chad have some alone time since they were boyfriend and girlfriend. "I'll wait here and make sure no one drowns," he joked trying not to feel awkward.

Abigail laughed. "We'll be back." She looked up at Chad as they headed towards the kitchen. She wondered if now was the right time to talk to him about their relationship.

* * *

><p>At the hospital, Lexie talked to Sami and EJ while Roman went down to the cafeteria to buy everyone some snacks. "Sami, have you noticed anything different about your grandmother? Any information would be helpful."<p>

EJ held Sami as she responded, "Well, I know that she has been under quite a bit of stress because of Will. When I saw her early yesterday morning she told me that she could not sleep. I saw a very deep sadness in her eyes." Sami began to tear up. "I should have known something was wrong when I talked to her. I should've noticed the change in her behavior. She did things that she normally would not do. I should have done something."

EJ kissed Sami on the side of her head. "Samantha, you can't control this. We still don't know what happened." EJ looked to Lexie. "…right?"

Victor got off the elevator and headed over. "I heard about Caroline. Is she going to be alright?"

Lexie turned around and spotted Daniel heading over. "I'll let Daniel tell you as he's been with Caroline since she was brought in."

As Daniel moved closer, Sami called out to him. "How is she, Daniel? Has she woken up yet?"

Daniel gave them a sad look. "Caroline has been stabilized after having a stroke. It wasn't a major stroke, but it's best if we keep her for more observation as she is still unconscious."

Sami turned to EJ and hugged him for support. "I can't believe this. Someone should tell my dad. He's in the cafeteria."

"I will find him to explain to him what happened." Lexie looked at Daniel and grabbed his arm for a second.

After Lexie left, EJ looked down to Sami. "Do you want to call Will and tell him?"

Sami shook her head. "I don't want to tell him just yet. I don't want him to feel depressed and stressed out while he's on that trip with his friends."

Hearing Sami mention that Will was on a trip with his friends made Victor curious as to who went on this trip with Will. "Will is on a trip? Who did he go with?"

Sami turned to Victor and gave him a puzzled look as she wondered why he wanted to know. "Yeah, he's sailing around with a group of his friends. Chad, Abigail, Gabi, Sonny, and some others went."

Hearing Sonny's name upset Victor. "I can't believe this. I had no idea that Sonny went on a trip. I have to go." Victor turned to Daniel. "If anything changes with Caroline, let me know." Victor turned and left in a hurry.

Sami turned to EJ after Victor left. "I wonder what that was about."

Daniel sighed. "I think I have an idea."

* * *

><p>Abigail and Chad began to grab waters out of the fridge. They glanced at each other awkwardly in silence for a while before finally deciding to say something to each other. At the same time they said, "We need to talk."<p>

Abigail put the water bottles on the table and took a seat. "You should go first since you mentioned you wanted to talk about something before."

Chad took a seat at the table as well. He grabbed her hand fearing that this might be the last time she would let him. "I have enjoyed my time with you as you're a very special girl, but I hate to tell you this. I'm in love with someone else." Chad watched as Abigail looked down, but noticed she did not take her hand away. "I hope that we can still be friends. I feel really guilty for what I'm about to tell you. I'm in love with your cousin, Will." Chad tried to make eye contact with her for her to say something back.

Abigail still did not look up and instead of directly replying to what Chad had to say, she thought she would share what she realized about their relationship. "I have realized that we were trying so hard to make this relationship work and in the process we sort of lost ourselves." Abigail finally let go of Chad's hand as she continued, "Even though I knew we were not working out, I was afraid to give up because I did not want to give up on you like my mother gave up on my father." Tears began to flow down Abigail's face. "I wanted to save you because my mother never saved my father. I know it's not her fault and that it's best that she moved on, but I guess I wanted to do what she couldn't."

Chad looked directly at Abigail even though she would not look back. "You don't have to save me. I don't need to be saved."

Abigail looked up after wiping her tears. "Chad, there's something I need to tell you because the guilt is eating at me. I kissed Josh Sunday night and some old feelings came back. I'm sorry I cheated on you."

Chad looked away feeling upset and guilty at the same time. "We cheated on each other. I've kissed Will a couple of times."

Abigail felt upset at the fact that Will and Chad kissed, but she suppressed her feelings. She decided to be the martyr. "Will came to me before the wedding and asked for my permission to tell you how he felt. I gave it to him," she admitted. "I did not want to believe in the possibility that you felt the same." Abigail grabbed Chad's hand again as she noticed the guilt on his face for loving Will. "Do I need to give you permission to pursue Will because I know that's what you want?"

Chad shrugged his shoulders as he thought about his feelings for Will. "I don't know what to do about Will. I'm afraid that I'm going to hurt Will because I'm not sure I will be able to give him what he wants."

Knowing the answer to her next question already, Abigail wanted to confirm Chad's feelings by asking, "Are you in love with Will?"

"Yeah, I am."

Abigail felt a bit sick to her stomach, but continued, "Do you find Will attractive?"

"I think so," Chad responded, but then began to smile as he thought about kissing Will. Chad realized that Abigail could see him smiling, so he stopped.

"Why are you fighting your own feelings?" Abigail called out Chad. "Why did you smile?"

"I was thinking about kissing Will," Chad shared nervously.

"Describe what it's like to kiss Will," she responded without skipping a beat trying to avoid her own feelings coming through.

Chad gave her a confused look. "Isn't this awkward for you?"

Abigail looked down for a moment to fight her feelings off. "Yeah, but I'm trying to help a friend."

Chad smiled that Abigail considered him a friend still. Chad began to focus on what he felt when he kissed Will. "It's amazing, but it's always amazing when I am with or even just thinking about Will. The kiss just intensifies the feeling I guess. It makes our connection deeper."

Abigail forced a convincing smile. "Well, I don't see how you can let Will down if that's how you feel." Abigail noticed an uncertainty in Chad's eyes still and realized that fear still kept him from fully committing to Will. "Why are you afraid to let this happen?"

"I'm afraid of how much life will change if I choose to be with Will," he admitted. Chad also admitted to himself that ever since he found out about Grace, he promised to himself that he would have biological children so that he could be there for them. He wondered where that would leave him if he ended up with Will as neither of them could get pregnant.

Abigail noticed Chad was deep in thought. "What kind of changes? What are you thinking?"

Chad did not want to tell Abigail about the Grace situation. Instead, he answered Abigail's question by saying, "I would have to stand up to my father and go against what he wants."

Abigail looked down as she thought about Chad's struggle with Stefano. "I know that I was never worthy of you standing up against Stefano, but what about Will? Is he worthy?"

Chad thought about it and nodded his head. "Yeah, he is."

Abigail squeezed Chad's hand. "Stop thinking about what others think and take the risk then. If Will is worth anything to you than he is worth taking the chance to see what could be." Letting go of Chad's hand, she looked into Chad's eyes. "Tell Will how you feel. Tell him tonight that you want to be with him!"

Chad looked down and began to sing softly, "_Close your eyes and tell me what you see: the two of us and nothing in between…_"

Abigail gave Chad a curious look. "What are you singing?"

Chad smiled and blushed as he realized he just sang part of the first verse of the song Will dedicated to him. "It's a song that means a lot to Will and me, but what you said is right. I need to tell him and commit to him, but I want it to be special."

"If you need any help let me know," Abigail replied still suppressing her own grief of losing her relationship with Chad.

"Thanks for being so accepting through all of this. It means a lot to me." Chad smiled at Abigail as he thought about what he wanted to do for Will.


	64. Chapter 64 Nothing I Want More

**Chapter 64: Nothing I Want More – Tuesday, August 9th, 2011**

Victor arrived home from the hospital and slammed the door as he made his way into the living room. He spotted Justin and Adrienne enjoying a drink together and gave them an angry look. "When were you going to tell me?"

Justin stood up and asked, "What are you talking about? What is going on?"

"I know that Sonny went on that trip with Will," Victor replied.

"Uncle Victor," Justin started trying to calm Victor. "Sonny and Will are just friends so you have nothing to worry about."

Victor shook his head. "There better not be any homosexual bonding on that trip."

Adrienne had enough of Victor's attitude and stood up to him. "Or what?"

Victor put his finger in Adrienne's face. "Don't test me, Adrienne."

Adrienne backed off and took a quick drink. "For the record, Sonny actually took his boyfriend with him on the trip," she shared smugly.

"Sonny has a boyfriend? If it's not Will, who is it?" Victor demanded to know.

"It's Manny Hernandez, Rafe's younger brother," Adrienne revealed waiting for Victor's response.

"I'm going to find out who Manny really is. You will regret this." Annoyed with their carefree attitudes, Victor left.

Justin turned to Adrienne with a questioning look. "Why did you do that? Why did you tell Victor about Manny?"

"I only told him because I figured he would look into Manny's history to find out who Manny is. I figured this was the better way because if I just asked him, he might have said no and looked him up anyway without sharing any of his findings. This way he'll want to prove us wrong if he does find anything." Adrienne took a drink and tried to smile as she feared what would happen if Victor did find something on Manny.

"I guess that was smart." Justin took a drink wondering if Adrienne's plan would work.

"I don't know how much more of this I can take. We need to find our own place if Victor is never going to accept Sonny." Adrienne hated putting Justin in this situation.

"Well, I have been looking for a place since Sonny moved out," Justin admitted. "If Victor doesn't come around we will move out."

* * *

><p>Stefano stood at the bar at his house as he thought about Chad. Taking another drink, he wondered if Chad would ever give him the time of day, as Chad never returned his phone calls. Stefano poured himself another drink when Kate walked in.<p>

"You should probably watch your alcohol consumption, dear. You don't want to mess with your diabetes." Kate grabbed a glass and poured water into it.

Stefano sneered at Kate. "Don't pretend like you care, Katherine."

Offended, Kate placed her hand over her chest. "Why would you even say that?"

"Why would I say that?" Stefano threw Kate's question back at her. "You encouraged Chad to walk out on the family. You told him to move out because I would never accept him and Will."

"You really think I did those things? Stefano, I know how much Chad means to you. He decided to do that himself and I had nothing to do with it." Kate could not believe that Stefano was blaming this all on her. "My love, I promise you that I did no such thing. Chad needed a break from everything, and I bet that he won't move out when he returns because he will feel refreshed. Trust me, this trip is a good thing for our family."

"That's the thing. I still don't want him and Will to return together. I don't want Chad to be gay because it will only cause him pain. He will be looked down on and people will look at him in a certain way because of the stigma that comes with homosexuality." Stefano looked away in fear. "I don't want to lose my son to all of that suffering. I want to protect him."

Kate felt bad for not hearing how Stefano felt about all of this before sneaking Chad out of Salem. "I think you should tell Chad that because he'll understand you better in all of this. Right now he thinks you'll want to disown him altogether if he chooses Will. I don't think that's true."

Stefano thought about how Johnny believed that Stefano hated Chad and Will for no reason. "It's not true. I would never disown my son like others have in the past." Stefano turned to Kate. "I do want Chad to be happy, but I think he will never find true happiness if he is gay. I've seen people close to me lose their mind and heart because of it."

* * *

><p>While Will, Sonny, Nathan, Melanie, Gabi, and T were relaxing in the jacuzzi, Chad, Abigail, Josh, and Dario stood and talked about Josh's guitar skills. Chad, who tried harder to befriend Josh for Abigail's sake, grabbed the guitar to see if he could play something. "I have tried to pick it up before, but I'm no where near your talent."<p>

"It just takes practice and dedication, Chad." Josh turned to Dario. "Do you play at all?"

"I learned how to play when I was younger. I had a friend who had a guitar and he taught me, but I haven't played since I moved to Salem," Dario shared. "I miss it. I might try to pick it back up while I'm working in Alaska."

As Josh and Dario continued talking, Abigail turned to Chad and whispered to him. "Go talk to Nathan and Sonny so that you'll be set tonight."

Chad stopped picking at the guitar. "I can't. Will is by them and I don't want him to figure out what is going on. I bet he already thinks I'm avoiding him."

Abigail realized that Chad would not budge. She turned her attention to everyone in the jacuzzi. "Sonny and Nathan, could you come over for a moment?"

Noticing that Will glanced over towards him, Chad gave Abigail a look. "What are you doing?"

"Relax." Abigail watched as Nathan and Sonny got out of the jacuzzi to talk to her. "Chad needs to talk to you." Abigail grabbed Josh's arm. "Let's get in the jacuzzi."

Chad handed the guitar to Dario, so he could talk to the others. "I have a request. Is there any way you two could sleep in the other guys' room because I want to hang out alone with Will tonight?"

Nathan and Sonny smiled as they realized what was going on. "Sure, no problem," Nathan responded for them.

Dario heard Chad's request. "I have room for one more person in my bed if one of you wants to share with me." Dario made sure he looked at Sonny to make sure Sonny knew he did not mind sharing with him.

Sonny turned to Nathan and put his hand on his back. "You can share with Dario. I'll just bunk with Manny tonight." Sonny turned to Chad and smiled. "I hope things go well with Will." Sonny turned around and headed back to the jacuzzi.

Chad smiled at the other two. "Thanks for agreeing to this. It really means a lot."

"Good luck with everything," Nathan responded while patting Chad's back.

After Chad left to prepare things, Dario wondered why Nathan wished Chad luck. "What is going on?"

"You'll find out tomorrow," Nathan replied. "Just make sure you don't talk to Will about this for the rest of the night."

Dario realized what was going on. "Okay. I won't tell Will."

* * *

><p>When it was bedtime, Sonny headed down to talk to Manny about sharing a bed for the night. He found Manny messing with the computers. He walked over and poked Manny on the side. "You're working too much. You were practically in here all night."<p>

Manny jumped a bit as he was working on the coordinates and did not hear Sonny come in. "Sonny, what are you doing down here? Everyone else go to bed?"

"Yeah," Sonny went for a kiss and Manny paused for a moment thinking about what Dario said to him, but he let Sonny kiss him after a few moments. After they stopped kissing, Sonny smiled. "I have good news."

Manny cautiously smiled. "What's your good news?"

Sonny continued to smile as he moved closer to Manny. "Chad asked me if he could have the room for the night so he could talk to Will alone. I thought that gave us the perfect opportunity to bunk together tonight."

"I don't know if that's a good idea." Manny did not want Sonny to stay down there because he was expecting a call. "Why can't you sleep in the room after Chad and Will finish talking?"

Sonny wondered why Manny seemed to have a problem with him staying the night with him when he seemed so eager earlier. "Well, Chad and Will are gay and they want to be alone for the night. I don't want to interrupt anything."

Manny's eyes widened at the news. "There are more of you?" he slipped.

Sonny gave Manny a confused look. "What on earth is that supposed to mean?"

Manny tried to laugh it off as he realized he made a mistake. "I was only joking."

Sonny did not buy Manny's excuse. Feeling upset and realizing that Manny did not want him to stay with him for the night, Sonny decided he should just go back to the other guys' room. "I changed my mind. I'll just go up and sleep with the other guys. Goodnight." Sonny stormed off.

Manny sighed and wiped his face knowing he would have to make things up to Sonny in the morning. He looked at his phone and wondered why he had not received a call yet. He decided to call the person instead. After it rang, Manny decided to leave a message, "I was hoping to talk to you at some point tonight. We are ahead of schedule of the old plans that Kate Dimera gave me. We will arrive to the new destination on time so that the next part of the plan can go into effect. Call me when you get this. I'll try to call your friend if I don't hear back from you soon."

* * *

><p>T, Dario, and Josh started to get dressed for bed, when Nathan walked in wearing a pair of gym shorts. Noting that Nathan had a pillow and a blanket in his arms, Josh stopped changing. "Why are you sleeping in here tonight?"<p>

"Well, Chad and Will needed to talk about something important, so I am going to crash in here for the night," Nathan shared hoping that the other guys would not catch on to the reason Will and Chad needed to talk.

T began to think about Chad and Will and remembered the awkwardness he experienced between the two of them on the trip so far. Putting two and two together, he exclaimed, "Oh my gosh. Chad's gay, too! Isn't he?"

Nathan began to feel uncomfortable. "No, that's not it," he tried to deny, but the truth was written all over his face.

Josh looked over at T a bit worried. "Was I hired to entertain on a gay cruise?"

"I'm not gay!" T announced.

"I'm not gay, either," Josh followed suit.

T and Josh looked over at Nathan and Dario to see what their status was. Nathan denied he was gay first. Dario was next. "I'm not gay," he announced as Sonny walked in.

The guys all turned to Sonny. "Sonny's gay!" T announced laughing.

Ignoring T, Sonny turned to Nathan and Dario. "Looks like I'm staying here for the night because Manny wants to be alone again."

Dario could see that Sonny felt hurt and wondered what else his brother might have said to him. He wondered if his conversation with his brother got to Manny and Manny decided to push Sonny away. Dario realized that his brother knew he was leading on Sonny. Dario wanted to talk to Sonny about it, but did not want to talk about it in front of everyone else.

Josh turned to T as he finished getting dressed for bed. "Dude, we are sharing a bed again tonight because we can trust each other."

Nathan gave them an annoyed look. "Knock it off guys. That's not funny." Nathan turned to Sonny. "You can take the bed with Dario, and I'll sleep on the floor."

Sonny glanced over to Dario, but responded to Nathan, "Are you sure?"

Dario walked over to Sonny. "I don't mind sharing. It's not a problem."

Sonny felt a bit better as he tried to forget what happened with Manny. "Thanks guys."

Josh and T made a loving sound at Dario and began to laugh. Dario turned towards them with anger. "If you don't stop, I'm going to kick your asses." Dario continued to cuss them out in Spanish, which made them shut up for the rest of the night. Sonny could not help but smile at how protective Dario seemed. Dario turned back to him and looked into his eyes. Sonny looked away realizing that Dario caught him giving him a loving look.

* * *

><p>Outside of the master bedroom, Melanie distracted Will from going in until she got the cue from Chad that it was safe for Will to go in. "I loved that movie. We should definitely watch it when we get back to Salem."<p>

Will smiled. "That sounds like a plan. We could get the group together and…" Melanie's phone went off interrupting Will. "Who's texting you this late?"

Melanie covered her phone knowing that was her cue to let Will go inside. "It's my dad just saying goodnight," she lied. "I should get ready for bed… see you in the morning?"

"Wait, I need to tell you something." Will wanted to talk to her about Dario and how he thought they should throw him their own farewell party.

Melanie yawned and stretched. "I'm tired Will. We can talk tomorrow. Goodnight." Melanie gave Will a quick hug and headed to her bedroom.

Will tilted his head as he did not understand why Melanie split so quickly. He walked into the bedroom and immediately noticed that it was decorated differently. The mood was rather romantic. Will looked around and did not see anyone else in the room. He wondered where the other guys were. "Hello?"

Chad walked out of the closet and closed the bedroom door. "Hey, Will."

Will smiled when he saw Chad. "What's all this?"

"I ended things with Abigail today and asked Nathan and Sonny to sleep in the other room," Chad shared. Putting his hand out, he asked, "Will, would you dance with me?"

Will smiled nervously as he still did not know what was going on. He took Chad's hand. "Yeah, but there's no music."

"Not yet." Chad pulled out a small remote and pushed play. Their song began to play making Will smile. "I set this up so that we could be alone tonight."

Will could not believe Chad put this together. "I wondered why I hardly saw you tonight. What does this mean Chad? Does it mean what I think it does?"

Chad looked into Will's bright blue eyes. "I'm not ready to be out, but I'm ready to be with you. Will you're worth it and you've proved that to me by always being there for me."

Will looked down as he remembered the times he walked away from Chad. Looking back up into Chad's eyes, he spoke, "Chad, I haven't always been there for you, but I promise I will from now on."

Chad smiled at Will as he looked down to make sure he did not step on Will's feet. "Even when we are apart, you are always in my heart."

Will began to laugh, but tried to stop. "I'm sorry."

"Why did you laugh?" Chad asked Will wondering if he said something wrong.

Will felt bad for laughing. "I guess I'm just used to you making those corny comments and then saying that you're just kidding and then laughing."

Chad smiled. "I know that's what I used to do, but I am serious. I guess in someway I was always serious, but laughed it off to feel better about saying those things to you." Chad stopped dancing, but held onto Will as he continued, "I promise you though – no more jokes about us being together. This is the real deal." Chad smiled as he noticed Will's face light up, but then disappear. "What's wrong? What are you thinking?"

"What about your father?" Will asked. "He's not going to be happy about this. I don't want you to lose because of me."

Chad had not really thought of his father since talking to Abigail. The thought of his father being more upset when they arrived back to Salem made him nervous, but he did not want to think about that now. "He'll just have to deal with it because this is what I want. Will, I want to be with you! I know that is all that matters now. He doesn't decide whom I can be with. I do."

Will's face lit up even more than usual as he heard Chad talk about making his own decisions. It made him feel better that this was all Chad's decision. Will looked at Chad's lips and then into Chad's eyes. "I dare you…"

Chad placed his finger on Will's lips to stop him from daring him. "You don't have to dare me to do anything anymore because I want to." Chad pulled Will into a fiery kiss. Will smiled as he kissed Chad. He pinched himself to make sure this was not a dream.


	65. Chapter 65 Hold Your Hand, Pt 1

**Chapter 65: Hold Your Hand, Pt. 1 – Tuesday, August 9th, 2011-Wednesday, August 10th, 2011**

After getting ready for bed, Abigail, Melanie, and Gabi got in bed but decided to talk a bit before going to sleep. "I am so excited we are finally making our first stop tomorrow. I am starting to get a little sea sick," Abigail shared.

"Yeah, Nathan and I were talking about buying some other supplies and different things for the rest of the trip." Melanie stretched a bit.

"What kind of supplies are you going to get?" Gabi asked.

Melanie grabbed a pillow and rested on it. "I guess that would depend on what the town has when we get there. I'm not sure what to expect."

Abigail began to think about Chad and Will. "I wonder what Chad and Will are doing now?"

Abigail's question confused Gabi as she had no idea what was going on. "What are you talking about? They're probably asleep."

Abigail rested her head on her hand. "Chad and I broke up today so that we could both move on with our lives. Chad is moving on with Will."

"Are you serious?" Gabi thought back and remembered her conversation with Chad in the park. She thought about Will and Sonny. Then she remembered Caroline's request to save Will from homosexuality. "Mrs. Brady at the pub asked me to help Will not be gay."

Melanie looked over at Abigail with a worried look because she feared Gabi might still try to get Will back. "What exactly did she want you to do?"

"I guess in the beginning, she wanted me to seduce Will," she admitted and continued, "I guess now she just wants me to convince him that being gay is not all it's cracked up to be."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Abigail asked a bit worried.

Melanie rolled her eyes and decided to share her take on what Caroline was implying. "I think she believes that if a person is gay they will live a miserable and lonely life, but I think anyone – gay or straight – can be miserable and lonely."

"But I think Mrs. Brady is right," Gabi stated. "All gay people will never be happy because what they are doing is against God's will. It's a sin."

Abigail and Melanie looked at each other and did not know how to respond to Gabi. They knew Gabi did not agree with homosexuality, but they never pushed her about it. They decided not to push her about it now. Abigail purposely yawned and stretched her arms. "I think I am ready for bed. Goodnight." Abigail rolled over and closed her eyes.

Melanie felt uncomfortable with just ending the conversation on that note, but decided now was not the time to talk about it. "Goodnight."

* * *

><p>In the other guys' bedroom on the Dimera yacht, everyone except for Sonny and Dario were asleep. Sonny and Dario could not fall asleep because they could not stop thinking about the other since they were sharing a bed.<p>

Dario wanted things to be better for him and Sonny before he left for Alaska. He thought about their friendship and though they hit a snag in their relationship early on, he still wanted to be Sonny's friend. He thought back to how he brought coffee to Sonny the morning after they hit that snag and had to side step Gabi's questions about why he bought a third coffee. He brought the extra coffee to make peace with Sonny after they fooled around. He regretted it and was able to fight off Sonny's advances until that moment in the Penthouse Grille's bathroom when Sonny claimed to love him. Sonny's confession in that bathroom complicated everything. He thought about how Manny entered the picture, and although he did not trust his brother, he knew he had no right to intrude on Sonny's private life since he asked Sonny to keep him out of it. It did not stop him from worrying though.

Sonny laid there with his eyes open as he thought about what Manny said to him earlier. He began to wonder if Dario was right about his brother not being into him. Sonny thought about how Manny came on strong, which made Sonny want to believe that Manny was into him. Dario was more passive when they got tipsy together which led to Sonny giving Dario a blow job, but Manny seemed more aggressive when it came to being physical. Manny seemed to want it all. Sonny wished he could just move on from Dario as he had found someone else, but he found difficulty in fighting his love for Dario.

Sonny suddenly felt something grab his hand. He looked over to Dario and realized Dario wanted to hold his hand. Sonny turned his hand around to hold Dario's hand. He moved in closer to Dario as his heart began to beat faster. He turned his head to Dario and whispered, "What are you doing?"

Dario's heart began to beat faster as well. He could not believe he actually grabbed Sonny's hand. His voice trembled as he whispered back, "I just want you to know that I'm here for you if you ever need anything. I want to be your friend. I wish things were different."

Sonny could hear sadness and sincerity in Dario's voice even if it was a whisper. He squeezed Dario's hand as a tear fell down his face. "I wish things were different as well." Sonny turned his head to look up at the ceiling as they continued to hold hands.

* * *

><p>In the master bedroom, Will and Chad were making out on the bed. Chad moved Will on his back so he could move on top of him. Placing his left hand near Will's head onto the pillow, he moved his right hand on the back of Will's head to bring him closer. Will began to rub Chad's back by placing his right hand inside of Chad's shirt. His left hand rested on the back of Chad's head to move him closer.<p>

There were times Will and Chad smiled while they were making out because they were in shock of what they were doing with each other. They wanted to laugh from the joy that they felt, but neither of them of wanted to part lips. Will lowered his right hand to grab Chad's butt causing Chad to jerk a bit. He wanted more, but realized he should check in with Chad first. Pushing Chad from him, Will sat up. "Are you okay? I don't want to move too fast for you."

Chad wiped around his mouth and thought about what Will really wanted to ask. Even though he enjoyed kissing Will, Chad knew he was not ready to take things further than that. Chad felt bad for asking Will to wait because he knew what that felt like. "Yeah, I'm fine, but I don't think I'm ready for that. I want to do things right and I really don't know the first thing…" Chad paused not wanting to finish his sentence. He sat up with his back against the headboard. Turning his head to Will, he suggested, "Can we just cuddle tonight? I know I am good at that."

Will smiled at Chad and moved closer to him so he could rest his head on Chad's chest. "Yeah, we can cuddle. We can have sex when we're both ready. I don't want you to feel pressured into it. I know it's never fun like that."

Chad kissed the top of Will's head. "Thanks."

Will moved his head so that he could look up at Chad. "Are you ready to go to sleep?"

Chad and Will both laid down to look each other in the eyes. Pulling Will closer to him, he smiled. "I'm not sure I can sleep as I don't want to stop looking at you. I don't want this night to end." As Will smiled, Chad took Will's hand and kissed it. He hoped he could make Will happy.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Gabi sat in the kitchen alone as she decided to cook breakfast for T and whoever else wanted breakfast. Sonny and Manny came in laughing about something and walked over to Gabi. "We're here to help you. What do you need us to do?"<p>

Gabi appreciated the help and tried to ignore the fact that Sonny and Manny were together. "Well, can you guys scramble about six eggs for everyone? Oh and can one of you make some toast?"

"I call making the eggs," Manny announced as he slapped Sonny on the butt. He really wanted to make up for what he said the night before. As Sonny started to make the toast next to him, Manny began to crack open an egg. He hit the egg too hard on the side of the counter causing the egg to fall all over the place. "Oops."

Gabi gave her brother an annoyed look. "Seriously?"

Sonny laughed and walked over to Manny. "Let me show you how it's done." Sonny grabbed an egg, but Manny stopped him.

Manny took the egg from Sonny and placed Sonny's right hand on his right hand. "Teach me." Sonny moved behind Manny to show him how it was done. "How hard should I hit the egg so that it doesn't spill everywhere like before?" Manny placed Sonny's other hand on his hard abs and smiled.

Sonny blushed a bit and guided Manny's right hand to crack the egg. "Like this." As soon as the egg was cracked, Sonny quickly brought it over the bowl. He removed his left hand from Manny's stomach and grabbed Manny's other hand to instruct him. "Now open it and pour the egg into the bowl."

Gabi shook her head and bit her tongue so she would not say anything to ruin the day for all three of them. Trying to ignore them, she began to sing a random song to distract herself. "This place about to blow… blow…" She clearly did not realize that her feelings were still coming through.

Sonny and Manny were so caught up with what they were doing, they forgot Gabi was there. After Manny cracked another egg and put it in a bowl by himself, Manny turned around to face Sonny. "You're a good teacher." Manny moved forward and began to kiss Sonny.

Gabi glanced over and saw Manny and Sonny kissing. She stopped singing and let her anger get the best of her. "I thought you two came in here to help! I don't think you two making out is helping anyone!"

Manny and Sonny quickly separated and laughed. "Sorry, sis. I can't help myself." Manny gave Sonny another quick peck on the lips.

Gabi turned off the stove and walked over to Sonny. Pointing at him, she screamed, "You are nothing but a disease, Sonny. You're turning everyone in Salem gay!"

Manny lightly pushed Gabi away from Sonny. "Back off! I've never felt happier with anyone." Manny figured he needed to stand up for Sonny to show him that he really cared about him.

"Bullshit, Manuel!" Gabi moved past her brother to yell at Sonny. "Tell me Sonny, did you move on to my brother, Manny, because you couldn't turn my other brother, Dario, gay?"

Gabi's accusations really hurt Sonny. He never realized how much Gabi hated him. "Gabi, why are you doing this?"

Gabi fought off Manny as he tried to make her back off physically. "I don't want to see my brother go to hell!" She gave her brother and Sonny a serious look. "I don't want to see you go to hell either, Sonny. When you first came to town you seemed like a nice guy. Was it all fake?"

Manny finally had it with Gabi's attacking Sonny. He understood it, but he did not want Gabi to get in the way. "Stop!" Manny yelled at his sister. He turned to Sonny and put his hands on his shoulder. "Can I speak to my sister alone?"

Gabi had a way of making anyone feel guilty. Sonny glanced at her and then back to Manny. "Sure. I'll go."

Sonny tried to turn around to leave, but Manny stopped him to give him a kiss. After Sonny left, Manny turned to his sister. "Gabi, you have to trust me on this. I know that you don't like what you see, but…"

"¿Hablas en serio?" Gabi interrupted. "We were taught growing up how evil homosexuality is. Mama would never allow it!"

"Let me finish, Gabi." Manny did not want to tell her his plan, but he had to calm her. "I'm with Sonny for a reason. Everything I do is for the family and you have to just leave it alone for now. It's not real, but I need you to keep that fact to yourself."

Gabi felt confused about what Manny meant. She wondered what motives Manny had to do all of this. "If this isn't real, you seem to be going out of your way to make it seem real."

"Because it has to be this way. Just don't say anything to anyone about what I told you." Manny placed his hands on his sister's shoulders. "Promise me."

Gabi looked up to her brother and sighed. "Okay. I promise, but you have to promise me you won't start having feelings for Sonny. You can't let him trap you in that world."

"Te doy mi palabra." Manny hugged his sister and realized that even though he was acting, part of him started to care for Sonny because he was such a nice guy that did not deserve any of this. "I'm sorry to leave you, but I have to go downstairs to make sure the yacht docks properly."

Gabi turned to the breakfast she was making. "Don't worry, I've got it covered." Gabi looked up after Manny left the room and said a little prayer.

* * *

><p>Justin and Adrienne came back to the Kiriakis Mansion for their lunch break. As they walked in they noticed Victor sat in the living room looking through some papers. When Victor looked up, he stood up and headed towards them. "I have been waiting for you two as I have something important to share with you."<p>

Adrienne glanced at her husband and back to Victor. "What is it, Victor?"

"I looked into Manny's past and found a few interesting details," Victor announced as he lifted the papers in his hand.

Justin began to feel nervous as to what his uncle found on Manny. "What did you find?"

"Well, the first thing is the fact that he was a drug dealer when he was younger, but later stopped and got clean." Victor looked through the pages. "Do you remember how I helped the Salem PD with finding out the truth about Rafe?"

"Yeah, you linked his ex-fiancé's death to Sami's coma by uncovering the fact that Rafe used the same drugs on both Sami and… whatever her name was," Justin answered.

"Her name was Emily Hudson," Victor clarified. "What you may not know is that Manny went to prison for Rafe. He claimed to be the one who orchestrated Emily's death for his brother because of what she knew about Arianna."

"While the fact that Manny used to be a drug dealer makes me nervous, the fact that he got clean makes me feel a bit better," Adrienne admitted.

Victor nodded. "Well, the fact that he took the fall for his brother may also be seen as admirable, but because of his decision, Rafe was able to come to Salem for some undisclosed mission. I don't believe he was working alone. There's more to Rafe's story that we do not know about." Victor thought about how Rafe tried to manipulate him for his own gains last summer.

"Rafe is dead though." Justin did not understand why Victor wanted to bring up Rafe now.

"Yes, he's dead, but I still do not trust Manny," Victor warned Adrienne and Justin. "After Manny was released from prison, he disappeared. No one is exactly sure where he disappeared to, but we do know that he visited Rafe twice before Rafe died. Manny was the only family member to visit Rafe while he was in there."

Adrienne began to worry again about Sonny. "So we have no idea where he disappeared to? Maybe he went to take care of his mother."

"No, he had no contact with the rest of his family before he came to Salem to tell his brother and sister that Rafe was dead." Victor looked through the pages. "According to my sources, they believe that Manny disappeared via a boat to some island, but they do not know the exact location to the island."

Adrienne and Justin looked at each other and did not know what to think about what Victor found on Manny. Justin looked to his uncle. "Any way you could dig deeper on Manny?"

"So I have your attention now, do I?" Victor scoffed at them. "You two are definitely the worst parents ever. I can't believe you let your son get involved with whoever he wants."

Adrienne pulled out her phone. "I'll call Sonny to make sure he's okay." She dialed Sonny's number, but it went straight to voicemail. Adrienne looked at Justin with a worried look.

* * *

><p>With the yacht docked at a Dimera owned island, Manny decided to make an announcement before everyone left. "We are now on the island called Maddalena. You all can enjoy the island for a couple of hours, while I work to get the yacht filled up and grab other necessities in the town such as food and water." Manny watched the others and knew that the original plan that Kate gave him allowed the group to stay on the island all day, but he wanted to make sure they got to their new destination on time.<p>

Sonny made his way to Manny. "I want to help you with grabbing supplies."

Manny kissed Sonny. "Sounds good, but it won't be too much fun."

"I'll help, too." Dario came forward. He wanted to stay with Manny and Sonny because he wanted to make sure Manny did not hurt Sonny in anyway.

Manny did not want his brother to go, but figured he could use the help. "Okay. After everyone leaves, we will get what we need. Here's the list that Kate gave me before we left." Manny handed the list to Dario.

Gabi and T made their way to Josh and Abigail. "Hey, are we still just relaxing on the beach. It looks beautiful."

Abigail nodded her head. "Yeah, I could use a stress free escape from this yacht."

Josh wondered if he missed something. "I've got sun tan lotion in my bag so we don't get burned too bad."

Chad noticed the others making plans. He turned to Will. "What do you want to do?"

"I am in the mood to explore the island Maddalena," Will turned and searched what he could see of the island. "Is that cool with you?"

Chad thought the name of the island sounded familiar but could not remember why. "Yeah, sounds fun. Maybe we'll find something cool to take as a souvenir." Chad gave Will an awkward side hug.

Nathan and Melanie walked over. "We heard you're going to explore the island. Mind if we join you?" Nathan asked.

Will smiled. "Sure. The more the merrier."

Everyone got off the yacht and each group went their separate ways to explore different parts of Maddalena.


	66. Chapter 66 Hold Your Hand, Pt 2

**Chapter 66: Hold Your Hand, Pt. 2 – Wednesday, August 10th, 2011**

On the Maddalena Beach, Abigail and Josh sat on a large blanket while Gabi and T hit a volleyball back and forth. Josh turned to Abigail wanting to talk to her about something. "So I checked my email earlier and found out that this girl dropped out of the study abroad program that I am going to this semester. You should think about going to New Zealand with me."

"That sounds like fun. I've always wanted to spend a few months in New Zealand. You'll have to give me more information so I can see if it will work for me." Abigail smiled but quickly looked away because she had not told him about breaking it off with Chad yet. She wondered if it was too soon to move on with Josh.

Josh noticed that Abigail wanted to tell him something. He thought about how T realized that Chad and Will were gay together and wondered if that had anything to do with what she had on her mind. "Are you okay?"

Abigail did not want to think of the hurt she still felt inside. She knew it would take time to be able to move on, but she did not want to deal at the moment. "I'm okay. I ended things with Chad yesterday."

"I wondered. I noticed you two seemed different when you brought the water bottles out. You two were in the kitchen for a while." Josh placed his hand on hers. "Why did you break up with him?"

Not wanting to talk about Chad being gay, Abigail decided to tell Josh the other reason she broke up with Chad. "You," she claimed. "Sunday night, when you came over I had fun even though my mind was somewhere else most of the night. When you comforted me and kissed me, it made me realize that I was trying too hard to make things work with Chad. I remembered that it was much easier with you and it reminded me of who I used to be. I want to be the old Abigail again… when I was just Abby."

Josh squeezed Abigail's hand. "As much as I liked the old Abby, I like you even more now." Josh moved in closer and kissed Abigail.

Abigail blushed. "I know things can only get better from here."

Gabi and T came over because they were done playing. Gabi and T took a seat next to them. Noting that Abigail and Josh just kissed, T laughed. "It's crazy how almost everyone on this trip is paired up now."

"I guess my brother, Dario, is the only one who is single on this trip now." Gabi wished her brother, Manny, was in the same boat.

"Well, Dario and Sonny shared a bed last night and I heard them whispering to each other. Maybe Dario is getting some, too," Josh joked.

Gabi was not amused. "Sonny really seems fickle, but I doubt Dario would ever let Sonny touch him like that."

T looked to Gabi and Abigail. "Is it weird that both of your exes are now dating each other?"

"I try not to think about it," Gabi admitted.

Abigail felt her pain begging for a release, but she would not allow it. "It's weird," she shared. "I guess I just want both of them to be happy and they seem to make each other happy."

Josh wrapped his arms around Abigail and pulled her in closer. "You're not a bad person at all, Abigail. You have a good heart." Josh kissed her on the cheek. "Gay people freak me out," he admitted, "but I think I can learn a thing or two from you."

Gabi became annoyed with talking about gay people. "Let's change the subject because I don't want to talk or think about the word gay." Gabi sighed wishing she could get away from all of it. "I think we should just avoid them all on the trip. The four of us should just hang out for the remainder of the trip when we can."

T and Josh shrugged their shoulders at Gabi's suggestion as they did not care either way. Abigail did not know what to say, but began to realize that Gabi's homophobia was starting to go too far.

* * *

><p>EJ and Sami walked into the foyer from the living room to head to the hospital to check on Caroline as they had heard earlier that Caroline woke up earlier in the morning. As they were about to leave, Kate walked in through the front door. Looking around, Kate asked them, "Have you two seen Stefano?"<p>

"No, I haven't seen him all day." Sami answered.

Kate turned to EJ. "I have not been able to get a hold of him all day. Have you seen or talked to him at all today?"

"Well, he told me earlier that he had an important meeting today. He didn't give me any details, but that's probably where he is." EJ wondered what the meeting was about because Stefano seemed to not want to share any details with him yet. EJ turned to Kate. "I am sure he is fine, so do not worry."

Mary headed down the stairs hoping to catch Sami before she left. "Mrs. Dimera, I'm sorry to interrupt, but I cannot find Sydney's little dolly. Do you happen to know where it is?"

Sami thought about the last time she saw Sydney's doll and remembered. "It's in my bedroom under the bed. We were playing hide and seek before bed last night." Sami smiled and then remembered she needed to ask Mary something. "Mary, I'm glad you came down here. I need to ask for a favor."

"Sure. What do you need?" Mary asked.

"I ordered different prints online and they should arrive later today. Some of the pictures are from when Will and his friends left for the trip. Could you watch out for the delivery?"

"I will look out for the pictures and I'll place them on the piano in the living room." Mary headed back upstairs after Sami thanked her.

"We should head out," EJ said to Sami. Turning to Kate, he reiterated, "I am sure father is fine."

After EJ and Sami left, Kate made her way into the living room and wondered what meeting Stefano had as he never mentioned it to her. She walked over the desk and looked through it for any hint about what meeting he had to go to. After looking through the whole desk, Kate moved her bangs from her face. "Stefano, my love, I hope you are okay." Kate tried to think positively, but the possibility of Stefano fainting due to not taking his medication crept in. She tried to shake off the fear as she tried to call him again.

* * *

><p>Melanie, Nathan, Chad, and Will walked through the small stores on the island of Maddalena. Chad and Will followed behind Melanie and Nathan so that each couple could have their own space. As they walked by the shops, Melanie announced what they were passing in case anyone wanted to stop and check the shop out. "Oooo… that one seems to have some nice jewelry. We can check that one out on the way back."<p>

Nathan smiled at Melanie and grabbed her hand. "I wonder if they have a gun shop anywhere," he joked.

"I think I saw one back there. Do you want to go back?" Melanie asked.

"I was kidding." Nathan responded. He could not help but smile at how gullible Melanie could be.

Will and Chad noticed that Nathan and Melanie were now holding hands and felt a bit awkward because they both wanted to hold each other's hands. Chad figured it was safe to hold Will's hand because they did not know the people there. Chad grabbed Will's hand as they continued to follow Nathan and Melanie. Will and Chad nervously smiled waiting for something bad to happen.

Nathan noticed that Melanie started screaming about the shops they passed and that everyone was looking at them. To make her quiet down, he decided to kiss her. "Relax."

"Too loud?" Melanie smiled back at Nathan. He nodded his head.

Chad saw Melanie and Nathan kiss and wondered if he should kiss Will. He really wanted to prove to Will that he could be a good boyfriend like Nathan. "Um…" Chad said awkwardly without adding anything else.

Will sensed that Chad felt awkward and realized that Chad was thinking about kissing him. He turned to Chad to make him relax. "Chad, there's no pressure here. You don't have to prove anything to me. I know how you feel, so if holding hands or kissing in public makes you uncomfortable, you don't have to do it." Will squeezed Chad's hand. "I'm still getting used to it, so I understand."

Chad smiled at Will as the pressure seemed to go away. Kissing Will's hand, Chad pulled him in a little closer. "I am okay with holding your hand here."

"Let's check out this store. It looks like they have some snacks and other things we might want to take with us," Melanie announced.

"Yeah, I think we need to buy some more batteries." Nathan motioned his hand to Will and Chad who were lagging behind. Will and Chad followed Nathan and Melanie into the store.

* * *

><p>Manny, Sonny, and Dario arrived back to the Dimera yacht with supplies. Manny grabbed the things that needed to go in the kitchen and turned to Sonny and Dario. "I'll take these to the kitchen while you guys load the stuff onto the yacht. From there we can decide where we need to put everything."<p>

Manny left while Sonny and Dario began to load the things onto the yacht. Placing a crate down, Dario wiped the sweat off the top of his head. "I guess I better get used to this as I am sure I'll be doing a lot of this for my new job in Alaska."

Hearing about Dario's new job in Alaska made Sonny sad. Placing a crate down, he turned to Dario. "Are you going to come back after you're done?"

Dario headed down to grab another crate. "I am not sure yet." Dario wondered if coming back to Salem would be a mistake.

Sonny thought of the night before when Dario grabbed his hand. He wondered if Dario had other reasons for holding his hand. Sonny headed down to grab another crate as well. As he picked it up, he asked, "So I guess holding my hand while we sleep is not happening again?"

Dario thought about holding Sonny's hand and felt awkward for letting his feelings for Sonny get the best of him. After putting down the crate, he watched as Sonny brought up another crate. "I just wanted you to know that I am going to miss you because you really have been a great friend."

"I'm going to miss you, too," Sonny shared.

Dario and Sonny remained quiet until they brought everything on board. "That's it. We've got everything."

Sonny took a deep breath. "What do we do now?"

"I believe we're supposed to wait until Manny gets back so we can put everything where it belongs." Dario looked over to see if Manny was coming back out, but he did not. "He sure is taking his time in the kitchen."

Meanwhile in the kitchen, Manny put things up as he tried to make a call. Once again he got his main contact's voicemail. "Where are you? I need to know my next move. I mean, I know what I'm supposed to do, but it would be good to check in. I called your friend and he hasn't heard from you either. So please call me back so I know what it is that you want me to do exactly." Manny looked up and spotted Dario standing there. He hung up and placed his phone in his pocket. "Are you guys done?"

"Yeah," Dario answered. "Whom were you talking to?"

"It was Kate Dimera," Manny lied trying to cover the truth. "She left me a voicemail saying she had some special instructions for me, so I tried to call her back."

Dario figured Manny could be telling the truth, but he still had his suspicions. Manny's phone began to ring again and Dario noticed he would not answer. "Aren't you going to answer that?"

Manny looked at his phone. "It's not Kate, so they can wait until we're done putting everything away. I'll call them later." Manny put his arm around Dario. "Let's finish this up so we can prepare everything and leave."

* * *

><p>At Salem University Hospital, Adrienne got off the elevator and spotted Daniel talking to EJ and Sami as he led them into a hospital room. She turned and spotted Lexie and Jennifer talking at the coffee station. Adrienne headed over to them hoping they had heard news from the kids. "Hey ladies. I'm sorry to interrupt, but I'm worried about Sonny as I have not heard from him since the kids left on their trip. I'll admit that Sonny is the worse when it comes to checking in, but he usually picks up when I call."<p>

Lexie looked at her phone to check the date. "It's Wednesday, when did they leave again?"

"Early Monday morning," Adrienne answered. "Have either of you talked to Abigail or Chad?"

"I haven't talked to Chad, but I really was not expecting to." Lexie replied.

"I talked to Abigail Monday evening, but I have not talked to her since," Jennifer responded noting that her and Lexie's response were not ones Adrienne wanted to hear. "It's been a few days, Adrienne. Why are you worried? Did something happen?"

"I'm just not sure I trust Sonny's new boyfriend, Manny, very much." Adrienne decided to leave out the details as she believed she could just be overreacting.

Daniel walked out of Caroline's room alone and noticed Adrienne seemed distressed. He walked over and asked, "Did something happen?"

Lexie turned to Daniel. "Have you talked to Melanie recently? We're all a bit worried as no one has checked in a couple of days."

"I haven't since she left for that trip," Daniel answered as he pulled out his phone. "I can give her a call right quick, though." He put the phone to his ear after dialing.

"Hey dad." Melanie answered. "You do realize that this call will most likely cost us a fortune, right?"

"Yeah, it's fine. I'm glad you answered. How's the trip going?" Daniel asked hoping that everything was running smoothly.

"It's great. We're all having so much fun. We made it to our first stop early and are heading back to the yacht to go on our next destination I guess," Melanie answered. "Is that the only reason you called?"

Adrienne walked over to Daniel. "Can you ask her if Sonny is around?"

After Daniel asked her, Melanie answered, "He's not with us, but everyone is fine and having fun. Sonny is with Dario and Manny at the moment refueling and restocking the yacht."

Daniel turned to Adrienne. "Melanie says that everyone is fine and that Sonny is with Dario and Manny right now."

"That's good." Adrienne felt better knowing that Sonny was with Dario as she trusted Dario. "Will you ask Melanie to tell Sonny to call me as soon as possible?"

Daniel told Melanie and she agreed. After hanging up, Daniel turned to Adrienne as he did not understand where her concern came from. "Is everything okay? Is there something you're not telling us?"

"I feel better now. I just needed to know that Sonny was okay." Adrienne took a deep breath wishing she could trust Manny the way she trusted Dario.

* * *

><p>On the Dimera yacht, Manny kept his distance from Sonny and Dario as they waited for the others to arrive. He took the opportunity to make a call in front of Dario so that Dario would feel he was not hiding anything. When the un-American contact answered, Manny immediately told him what their status was. "We should be arriving to our final destination shortly. I am still having issues though because I can't get hold of m…" Manny stopped talking as he saw everyone else getting on the yacht. "I'll have to call you later as the captives just arrived." Manny hung up his phone and put it in his pocket.<p>

As Chad and Will began to get on the yacht, Chad let go of Will's hand as he did not want anyone else to see them holding hands. He turned to Will. "Sorry."

Will smiled at Chad to assure him it was okay. "No worries."

Dario walked over to Manny to talk to him. "Were you just talking to Kate again?" he asked trying to hide that he was suspicious.

"Yeah, that was Kate." Manny turned towards everyone and yelled so everyone could hear him. "We're going to a surprise destination! I think you'll enjoy it as from what I've heard from Kate it's quite exotic and homey at the same time." Manny smiled as he continued, "We'll probably spend a whole day to explore the island."

The others got excited with Manny's announcement. They wondered why Kate wanted them to go to this specific island. The mystery excited everyone.


	67. Chapter 67 Suspicious

**Chapter 67: Suspicions Wednesday, August 10th, 2011**

EJ stood and watched as Sami continued to talk to Caroline while she slept. Caroline stirred and woke up. She smiled when she saw Sami's face. "Sami, you're here. I saw your father earlier."

A tear fell down Sami's face as she smiled. "I am so glad you're going to be okay. We were all worried for a second there." Sami grabbed Caroline's hand and looked down. "I'm sorry I let my anger get the best of me. I should have talked you through everything that happened with Will."

Caroline gave Sami a confused and worried look. "What happened to Will? Is he okay?"

Sami gave her grandmother a strange look. "Will is fine. He was just upset because of what happened between the two of you."

"What did I do? Did he not like the graduation party I set up for him?" Caroline started to feel stressed.

Sami quickly became concerned and tried to calm Caroline down. "No, he loved the party." Sami did not understand what was going on as Will's party was months ago.

Lexie and Maxine walked in to check on Caroline. Lexie made her way to Caroline and Sami. "I'm afraid that visiting hours are over. We're going to run a few more tests on Caroline." Lexie turned to Maxine. "Maxine, will you please take Caroline to get a CT scan of her brain?"

"Yes, Dr. Carver." Maxine made her way over to Caroline to prepare her to leave the room.

Sami held her grandmother's hands for a few seconds. "I'll be back tomorrow to check in on you."

Lexie motioned to Sami and EJ outside of the room so she could talk to them. After they made their way outside of the room, she smiled. "It looks like Caroline is responsive."

"I noticed that there seems to be something wrong with her memory. Is she going to be okay?" Sami wondered if the memory issue would be temporary or permanent.

"Well, it's possible that Caroline does not remember what happened before her stroke. It's hard to say at the moment, but I think a new CT scan and other tests might help us understand what is the best option for her full recovery."

"Any other suggestions on what we can do now?" EJ asked as he pulled Sami to him.

Lexie looked at both with concern. "It's probably best if everyone tries to avoid stressful topics with her as that could only make her feel worse."

"Great. That pretty much means everything is off-limits." Sami wondered what Caroline remembered. If she did not remember what happened with Will, then she probably did not remember that Sami moved in with and married EJ. "This is a disaster!"

EJ pulled Sami into a hug and kissed her on her head. "It's going to be alright, Samantha. We'll have to make sure to tell Will and the others when they get back to Salem."

Lexie thought about how Adrienne freaked out earlier about Sonny's safety. "Change of subject here, but have either of you talked to Chad and Will since they've been on their trip?"

Sami turned around thinking that Lexie wanted to know if they told either of them about Caroline. "Well, we've decided to hold off with talking to them because of what happened to my grandmother. We don't want to ruin their trip with this bad news."

* * *

><p>After his long and slightly secret meeting, Stefano finally arrived to his mansion. He made his way into the living room to get a drink. He shook his head as he thought about what happened in his meeting. "Maddalena, what am I going to do with you?"<p>

Having heard someone come into the house, Kate made her way into the living room and felt better when she saw Stefano was home. "Thank God," she said with a sigh. "I've been worried sick about you."

"Why?" Stefano asked while pouring himself a drink.

"Have you checked your blood sugar?" Kate asked as she placed her hand on his back.

"My dear, you do not have to worry as I took all my medicine this morning. I am fine." Stefano took a drink.

Kate scoffed at Stefano. "Where have you been? I have not seen or heard from you at all today. I thought maybe you passed out somewhere and no one would be able to find you because you turned your phone off."

Stefano put his hands around Kate. "Katherine, you have nothing to worry about. I had to deal with some family stuff overseas. I could not be distracted, so I turned off my phone."

"Why didn't you tell me about this meeting beforehand? I probably would have worried less." Kate poured herself a drink wondering if Stefano was still upset with her.

As Stefano answered, Mary came in with Sami's package. She placed it on the baby grand just as she told Sami she would. She headed back upstairs to be with the kids.

* * *

><p>Chad, Will, and Sonny sat in the master bedroom of the Dimera yacht discussing the ins and outs of living life as a gay man. Chad had a lot of questions because he wondered if he would have to change his life completely.<p>

Sonny sensed that all of this was too much for Chad to handle because he really did not understand what it meant to be gay. He sensed Will felt the same to a lesser extent. "You don't have to change yourself to become the cliché of what people think gay people are. It's okay if you fit the cliché, but if you force yourself to become someone you're not than you probably will lose yourself in the process."

"So how is it for you, Sonny? What's it like to be out in the open?" Chad asked wondering if he would ever be ready to be out to everyone in the world.

"Well, I'll admit that it takes some getting used to. You're never sure what to expect because everyone responds to the news in different ways." Sonny did not want to scare them away from the idea of coming out. "Everyone does things differently. Like I mentioned earlier there's no one way that a gay man should live. You get to decide if you want to make a big display about being gay or you can let it come up when it comes up. I'm kind of in the middle. I'm not really shy about public PDA anymore. The important thing is that you stay true to yourselves."

Will thought about Sonny's advice and felt a bit better with coming out to everyone on his own terms. "I'm more of a private person when it comes to relationships anyway. I am not a fan of PDA when a lot of people are around."

"Same here. Although I was completely different in high school. I took every opportunity then so that everyone could see me kissing… a girl." Chad did not want to bring up Mia's name. "Now, I think things shouldn't be displayed like that. I'm not a little kid anymore."

"It's amazing how much a year can change you after you've graduated high school," Will joked as he nudged Chad playfully.

"You guys will be fine. It seems like the two of you are on the same page. Just make sure you two keep talking about this and what you want." Sonny got off the bed and took off his shirt. "So can we have a three way now?" Sonny asked while laughing. He could not keep a straight face.

Chad and Will laughed as well. Chad pulled Will closer to him and gave him a kiss. "All I need is Will."

Sonny smiled. "Well, I am going to head to the jacuzzi. Are you guys going to join?"

"I am not in the mood for the jacuzzi right now, so I'll probably stay here." Chad looked at Will. "You can go if you want."

Will leaned in on Chad. "I am good. I think I'll stay here with you." Will turned to Sonny. "Thanks for the invite."

"No problem. I'll see you later tonight." Sonny grabbed a towel and left.

Chad turned to face Will. He grabbed both of Will's hands and looked into Will's eyes. "Honestly, are you okay about me staying in the closet. I need to get used to all of this. I'm not ready for any of that public showing. I'm not ready to tell everyone that we're together, but I want us to be together."

"I don't mind because I'll take you either way. I don't want to push you into something you don't feel comfortable doing." Will smiled as he looked at Chad. He still could not believe they were together.

Chad pulled Will on top of him and gave him a kiss. Running his hands through Will's hair, Chad said, "Thanks for making me the luckiest person alive." Chad pulled Will into another kiss.

* * *

><p>Dario walked around the yacht looking for his sister. He finally found her in the girls' bedroom rearranging the things in her suitcase. He walked into the bedroom after announcing himself. "Can I ask you a question?"<p>

Gabi stopped messing with her suitcase to give him her full attention. "Sure. Go ahead."

"I've noticed something different about Manny since he came to Salem to tell us about Rafe's death. What are your observations?" Dario wondered if she had picked up on the same things he had picked up.

"I don't understand the change in him as I have noticed some strange behavior," Gabi admitted. "I remember some stuff as I was young when Manny was still around the house. We're eleven years apart," she reminded her brother. "The one thing I remember is that he had a lot of girlfriends because I would always talk them into playing with me. I called all of them chica because I never knew their names." Gabi sat down by her suitcase. "Do you think prison changed him in that way?"

"I don't know. I don't think Sonny is the first guy he's been with though." Dario took a seat on the other side of Gabi's suitcase. "Has Manny done anything weird or anything that would make you suspicious that he might be up to something?"

Gabi remembered walking into awkward phone conversations at their apartment. "There have been a few times that I can remember. I've walked in on a few awkward phone conversations that seemed to be about something else, but he was always able to give me a reasonable excuse when I asked him about it." Gabi thought about her conversation with Manny about his relationship with Sonny. "I also get this weird vibe from his relationship with Sonny."

"What do you mean?" Dario asked wondering if she felt that Manny might hurt Sonny.

"I don't think Manny is with Sonny for his own benefit. I think Manny is going out with Sonny to keep him away from you," Gabi shared.

"You might be onto something as Manny gave me hell about my friendship with Sonny since day one." Dario remembered the fact that Manny had been spying on him and Sonny before he made himself known. "I think he's hiding something else though. I don't know if I should tell Sonny about this."

Gabi looked over to her brother to try to read him. It did not make sense why Manny felt the need to keep Sonny away from Dario, when Dario claimed they were only friends. She remembered the jealousy in Dario when they both confronted Manny about Sonny at their apartment. "Dario, please don't take this the wrong way, but do you have feelings for Sonny?"

Dario began to cough as Gabi's question caught him off guard. "The only feelings I have for Sonny is as friends only."

"Okay," Gabi responded knowing better. She could not believe what Sonny did to both her brothers.

* * *

><p>Manny, Sonny, Abigail, Josh, T, Nathan, and Melanie relaxed in the jacuzzi as they looked up at the stars. Manny had his arm around Sonny. "How about a massage?"<p>

Sonny smiled at Manny and wondered if they would make things official soon. "Sure. A massage sounds great."

Manny pulled Sonny in front of him to give him a back massage making Josh and T feel uncomfortable. Josh turned to Abigail and began to give her a massage so that he would not have to watch Manny touching Sonny. "How does that feel?"

"It feels awesome," she replied as she closed her eyes.

Since Gabi was not around, T needed to find his own distraction. He turned to Nathan and Melanie. "So how is it working at the hospital?" he asked trying to avoid looking at Manny and Sonny.

"It's good." Melanie answered unsure of why T wanted to know. "What's your major going to be at Salem U?"

"I'm thinking business right now, but that might change." T said as he heard Sonny quietly moan.

After Manny finished giving Sonny a massage, Sonny turned to Manny. "Thanks," he said as he went in for a kiss.

T was about to say something about them kissing, but Manny stood up to get out. "I should probably head to the captain's deck. I have to make sure everything is in order by the time we dock."

Sonny stood up with him and gave him another kiss. "Are you sure you don't have time for me to return the favor?"

Josh and T cringed. "I'm sure his job is important. We don't want to crash," Josh cut in the conversation.

"Yeah," Manny nodded. "I might have to pull an all-nighter." Manny got out of the jacuzzi and grabbed a towel to dry off. "You all have a good night. By the time you wake up tomorrow, we will arrive to the new island."

Sonny sat back in the jacuzzi as everyone said good night to Manny. T and Josh looked at each other with relief as the gay PDA was over. They could relax again.

* * *

><p>Back in the master bedroom, Chad and Will finished getting ready for bed. Will took off his shirt and shorts and got in bed. Chad followed suit and pulled Will close. "Are we going to keep up with our new nightly ritual?" Will asked as he bit his lip.<p>

"Of course," Chad replied with a smile as he pulled him into a kiss.

Breaking away for a moment, Will joked, "Do I need to set a timer this time?"

"If we want to sleep at all, you might want to," Chad responded pulling Will into another kiss.

As Chad and Will began to intensify their make out session, Dario and Sonny walked in because Sonny had talked Dario into sharing a bed with him in the master bedroom. As soon as Dario spotted Will and Chad making out, Dario became weird about it. "Woah. I was not expecting that." Nervous about what he walked into and the feelings that came over him, Dario continued, "I think I'm going to be sick."

Chad backed off from Will and began to feel nervous about what Dario said. "Why are you guys in here?"

Sonny felt bad for what Dario said. "Sorry, there was a free bed in here, so Dario and I were going to take it so that Nathan could sleep on a bed this time."

"I don't know if I should stay in here anymore." Dario said still feeling uncomfortable.

Sonny wondered if Dario was referring to them holding hands the night before. "Dario, relax. I'm not going to try anything. I'm with Manny now, remember?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to imply you would." Dario took his shorts off to let Sonny know that he was going to stay in the room. He did not want Sonny to believe he only had Manny to lean on when Manny was most likely just playing games with him. Dario feared he might not be able to hold back if he shared a bed with Sonny. "I'll let you have the bed though. I can sleep on the floor."

Sonny became offended that Dario did not want to share a bed with him even though Dario claimed he believed Sonny would not make a move on him. He wished he never told Dario how he felt about him because they could still be close like they used to. "Okay. If you change your mind in the middle of the night, I'll save some space."

Will noticed that Chad still kept his distance from him. "Are you okay?" he asked as he tried to cuddle with Chad.

Chad backed off from Will without realizing what he was doing. He stopped when he realized he would not let Will touch him. "I'm sorry. I am not comfortable right now."

Will moved away from Chad to give him space. "It's okay, Chad." Will laid down on his side of the bed. After the lights were turned off, Will began to wonder if Chad would ever feel comfortable being with him.


	68. Chapter 68 New

**Chapter 68: New – Thursday, August 11th, 2011**

The next morning, Will and Chad continued to sleep as they cuddled in bed. Will had his arms wrapped around Chad as his head rested against Chad's back. Chad stirred and moved around to face Will. He moved closer as they continued to sleep.

Manny walked in to wake up the guys to let them know they had arrived to the island. He had already woke up the others. He looked over and saw Chad and Will cuddling with each other in one bed. "Hey guys, we're here on the 'mysterious' island." Manny turned to the other bed once Chad and Will began to stir. He began to worry when he saw that Dario and Sonny were sharing a bed. As he looked closer he realized that Dario was holding Sonny as they slept. "¿Que está pasando?" he shouted! "What do you two think you are doing?"

Will and Chad immediately got up and noticed that Manny was yelling at Sonny and Dario. Chad removed himself from Will. "What is the problem?"

Sonny and Dario began to move. Sonny opened his eyes and realized that Dario was holding him. "Wait." Sonny looked at Dario as Dario realized that he was holding Sonny. "Dario, when did you get in bed? I thought you were sleeping on the floor."

Dario removed his arm from Sonny's body. "I woke up in the middle of the night because the floor was uncomfortable. I decided to sleep in the bed since there was room."

Sonny turned back to Manny. "It's not what it looks like. I was asleep when Dario got in."

Manny calmed down with Sonny as he needed to be on his good side still. "I believe you, Sonny, but I don't trust my brother." Manny moved over to Dario and removed the blanket covering him. "You have denied this since I came to Salem, but I think it's time you told the truth. You have feelings for Sonny, don't you?"

Dario quickly covered himself again as he was only in his underwear and everyone could see that he had an erection. "I don't have feelings for Sonny. It's the morning. I can't help it."

Sonny looked away from Dario because once again he claimed to not have feelings for him. He knew that he could not show his embarrassment and hurt because Manny would get upset. "It's morning wood. Manny, don't take it the wrong way. Dario said he doesn't have feelings for me, so we should just take his word." Sonny really wanted to believe that Dario did have feelings for him but was only afraid to admit to it.

Manny wanted to put an end to any chance that Dario and Sonny would get together. He wanted to break Sonny's heart a bit, so that Sonny would just move on from him. "Let's hear it then, hermano. Tell us all that there's no way in hell that you'll ever want to be more than friends with Sonny."

Dario could not look at Sonny and hated that it came to this. "There's no way in hell I'll ever want to be more than friends with Sonny."

Manny looked over at Sonny and could tell that Dario's statement hurt him. He accomplished what he wanted. "Well, I'll let you guys get ready. See you outside." Manny left.

Sonny tried to hide his feelings, but what Dario said really hurt him. It hurt worse than what he felt when Dario remained silent in the bathroom at the Penthouse Grille. Dario tried to touch him to talk to him about what just happened, but Sonny got up and grabbed a few clothes. "I'm going to get ready in the bathroom," he shared.

The other three guys noticed that Sonny's voice made it sound like he wanted to cry. After Sonny stormed out, Will and Chad turned to Dario. Will got out of bed and took a seat next to Dario noticing he wanted to cry as well. "Are you okay?"

Dario swallowed his tears and got up. "I can't think about myself right now. This needed to happen." Will looked to Chad and frowned.

* * *

><p>Sami took a seat next to EJ on the couch. Pulling out her phone, she clicked the photo button to show EJ some pictures. "So Will sent me a few pictures earlier this morning of their trip so far." She handed the phone to EJ.<p>

Kate and Stefano walked into the room. "Did someone say pictures?" Kate asked wanting to look at them.

Sami got up, so that Stefano could look at the pictures as well. "You should let them look at the pictures after you're done. Although I should warn you there are a lot of Chad and Will pictures." Sami smiled as the others looked through the pictures.

After EJ looked through them, he handed the phone to Kate so she and his father could look at them. "Here. Just scroll like this."

As Stefano and Kate looked at the pictures, Stefano could not help but notice how happy Chad seemed in the pictures. He could really see the love Chad had for Will. Even though he felt sad for his son and regretted how he approached Chad, he could not help but smile at how Chad's face lit up in the pictures with Will. Kate smiled as she caught Stefano smiling.

EJ got up and stood next to Sami. "Those were great photos."

Sami smiled and remembered about her order coming in the day before. She turned to the baby grand and saw the package sitting there. "I almost forgot about these." She quickly opened the package and pulled out the pictures. "You'll have to see these. These are from the morning they left for the trip. I tried to take a picture of everyone." She walked over to EJ and began to flip through the pictures. "That's a really good picture of Sonny, Adrienne, and Justin."

"Who is the other guy with them?" EJ looked at the guy's face as it looked familiar to him.

"That's Manny. He's Rafe's brother." Sami looked up at EJ with a nervous look as she made the correlation.

"Maybe that's why he looked familiar. I could have sworn I had seen him before… recently." EJ looked at Manny's face again. "I don't know."

Harold walked in with two invitations. "Mr. Dimera, two invitations came in the mail today. One for you and your wife," Harold handed one invitation to Stefano and Kate and walked over to EJ and Sami as he continued, "and one addressed to you and your wife." He handed the invitation to EJ.

Stefano handed the envelope to Kate so she could open it. EJ had already opened his. "We have been invited to a fundraiser tonight at Chez Rouge."

"Fundraiser for what?" Stefano asked suspiciously.

Kate looked their invitation over. "Some cause for deaf children. We pay for our plates and if we want to donate any extra money it will be accepted as well. This is kind of late notice."

"Well, it seems to be for a good cause," Sami replied looking up at EJ. "We should go."

Stefano thought about his late son, Benjy. He hated that he would never get to see him because of Andre's jealousy. "We are all going. If any of you had plans before, cancel them. This is too important to not go." Stefano stood up and left the room. Kate, EJ, and Sami looked at each other wondering why Stefano seemed upset.

* * *

><p>Melanie, Nathan, Josh, and T decided to check out the beach while the others got ready on the yacht. Josh looked around and noticed that the beach seemed a bit different from the average beach. "There are some interesting rocks on this beach."<p>

Nathan looked over at the rocks. "It seems a volcano went off years ago. That's volcanic rock." Nathan looked around and noticed that there were few full-grown trees left on the island.

Melanie walked over to Nathan. "I wonder if the volcano is dormant or extinct."

"I hope so," Nathan responded. "No one wants a volcano to go off while we're on this island." Nathan continued to look over the island. "Seems like there's a lot of history here. I wonder if anyone lived here."

"You guys are creeping me out," T claimed. "Can we just stop talking about the volcano and have fun? Isn't that why we're here?"

"Yeah, I'm with T." Josh walked over towards the water to look at it.

Melanie turned to the guys. "I'm sure we'll be fine. I'm sure Kate checked it out before sending us here."

The others sat at the table in the kitchen. "We'll decide what everyone's doing and split off when the others get back," Manny announced.

"I wonder if they've found anything interesting on the beach," Chad wondered as he took Will's hand under the table.

"I don't really want to explore the island. I just want to relax on the beach," Gabi admitted.

"I'm with you on that, Gabi. I really don't care to walk through trees and grass to look for bugs and creepy animals." Abigail shivered as she thought about walking by bugs.

Manny laughed and turned to Sonny. "I want to explore the island. What do you say?"

"I'm always up for an adventure, so of course I'm down to explore." Sonny tried to smile wanting to forget what happened earlier with Dario. Sonny ignored looking at Dario and turned to Chad and Will. "You guys want to join us?"

Will looked at Chad before answering. "Yeah, we'll go. We tried to explore that island yesterday, but we didn't have enough time."

Manny was pleased that Chad and Will agreed to go as he needed to take the three of them to a certain place by the end of the night. "We'll have plenty of time this time. We're staying the night here and sailing out tomorrow." Manny was not sure how long they would be on the island. It all depended on how the plan worked out tonight.

"You guys should go," Gabi said. She wanted the four of them to explore together alone so she would not have to hang out with them. "The rest of us will just relax here by the yacht.

Manny kissed Sonny on the cheek and stood up. "I have to grab a few things from my room. I'll be back up. Hopefully the others will be back by then."

Dario watched as his brother left and turned back to Sonny, who was still ignoring him. Feeling left out, he wondered if Sonny did not invite him because of what happened earlier. He had to say those things so that Sonny could move on. He wondered if Manny started to have feelings for Sonny. Dario looked down at the table wondering if he should try to talk to Manny about it again. Maybe Manny would agree to let him join them.

* * *

><p>At the Kiriakis Mansion, Adrienne and Justin gave each other a kiss in the living room before they went their separate ways for work. "I love having a late day, so that we can leave the house together." Justin smiled. "Do you want to do dinner tonight?"<p>

"Yeah, I'll have Marcus take the reins tonight." Adrienne thought about Sonny and wondered why he had not called yet. "Did Sonny call you at all yesterday?"

"No, he did not." Justin gave Adrienne another kiss. "Don't worry. Our son is okay. He can take care of himself."

Victor walked in. "I'm glad I caught you two before you left." He handed them an invitation. "I got one as well this morning. It's an invitation for a charity event at Chez Rouge." Victor allowed Adrienne and Justin to look over the invitation. "I plan on going as it's good for business to make appearances to these types of things. Are you going?"

Justin turned to Adrienne. "It would help us avoid arguing where to eat tonight," Justin joked.

"Yeah, it does make things simpler," she smiled as she turned to Victor. "We are going."

"Do you know who is putting the event together?" Justin asked.

Victor looked at the invitation again. "I assume it's the charity, but I've never heard of this particular one before."

"Well, it's at Chez Rouge, so it must be legit," Justin figured.

Adrienne pulled out her phone again to try to call Sonny, but once again it went straight to voicemail. Adrienne left a quick message and hung up. She hated that Sonny did not bother to call her back.

* * *

><p>In the captain's quarters, Manny tried to call his main contact again, but hung up when he did not answer. Frustrated, Manny threw his phone on the bed. "Why can't I get a hold of you? Answer your damn phone!" Manny took a seat on the bed and thought about what he had to do. He began to have second thoughts about what he had to do as Sonny, Chad, and Will all seemed like nice loyal guys, especially Sonny. He also did not want Gabi or Dario to get hurt since his main contact changed the original plans that he and his other contact set in place. The new plan put everyone's life in danger.<p>

Manny picked up his phone again to call his other contact. When he picked up, Manny ignored the formalities and went straight to business. "I'm not sure I can go through with this."

"Don't you care about Rafe? Don't you care what happened?" the man with the un-American accent questioned him.

"Of course I do," Manny responded knowing the fact that he was not following the original plan that they outlined. Manny knew that this contact could not understand his dilemma as he did not know that the plan changed. Manny knew he could not tell this guy the truth though because he would mess up the new plan. "Don't worry. I'll get Sonny, Chad, and Will where you need them for the plan to work. I'll get the other kids as well."

As Manny was talking, Dario walked down the stairs. Dario stopped and wondered what Manny meant when he mentioned taking Chad, Sonny, and Will to a certain spot. He slowly made his way to the bottom after Manny hung up and pretended not to hear anything. "Who were you talking to this time?"

"I needed to check in with Kate because she wanted to make sure Chad and Will got some alone time. I thought it would be nice to take them somewhere with Sonny," Manny claimed.

Dario did not fully buy Manny's story, but decided not to question him. "Can I go with you guys?"

Manny stood up and placed his phone in his pocket. "I'm not sure that is a good idea. You'll just feel awkward because you won't have anyone to partner up with. You don't want to be the fifth wheel."

Dario looked his brother over. He really wanted to believe that his brother was telling the truth because he loved him, but his recent suspicious behavior made him wonder if Chad, Will, and Sonny were in some kind of danger. "I'll hang out with the others and make sure they don't interrupt your plans." Dario wanted Manny to believe he believed his story. He knew he had to do something though.

"Thanks, I appreciate that." Manny patted Dario on the back and then watched him leave. After he knew the coast was clear, Manny walked over to a bag he had under the bed. He put it on top of the bed and pulled out a bomb. Looking it over, Manny feared what he had to do.


	69. Chapter 69 Salem

**Chapter 69: Salem – Thursday, August 11th, 2011**

At Salem University Hospital, Jennifer walked over to Caroline's room knowing Daniel was inside. She waited until he finished checking in with Caroline. Once he walked out, Jennifer smiled. "I have been waiting for you."

"Oh?" Daniel gave Jennifer a playful smile.

Jennifer smiled back, but looked back at Caroline's room with concern. "How is Caroline doing?"

"I think she should be able to go home soon, but she will probably need some assistance as she is still having issues with her memory and some movement. She'll have to do some physical therapy." Daniel put Caroline's chart away. "So why were you waiting for me?"

"Well, I decided to go home to check the mail since I have stayed with you at your place all week." Jennifer pulled an envelope out of her bag. "I got this invitation to a dinner tonight at Chez Rouge. It's for a charity."

"That's nice. Are you going?" Daniel asked.

"If you go as well." Jennifer gave the envelope to him. "The odd thing is that the invitation is addressed to the both of us."

Daniel looked the envelope over. "Your name is listed first." Daniel gave Jennifer an odd look. "Well, it might be good if we go because we need to get out of my apartment. We don't want to be a boring old couple, now do we?"

Jennifer nodded her head and laughed. "I think so, too. I hope it's a good time."

* * *

><p>Kate sat in the living room making calls about her bedroom decoration project for Hearth &amp; Home. She called the photographer to let him know that everything was ready for the photo shoots and gave him the tentative schedule for when she would need him. After hanging up, she placed her phone down next to her and thought about how great this project would be for her magazine. She remembered that when she first came up with the idea that it was just a ploy to get Chad and Will together in the same room when Will moved in. She smiled as she thought about the pictures she saw of the two of them on their trip. Even though Will moved out, Kate believed that her plan helped Chad and Will connect deeper with each other. She enjoyed the fact that her idea worked out well for her business, too.<p>

Stefano walked into the living room. "Katherine, I would like to talk to you about us. We need to clear some things up."

Kate stood up and became nervous as she straightened out her skirt and sleeves of her jacket. "I hope this is not bad news."

"I just wanted to talk to you about Chad really." Stefano sighed at Kate as he could not keep his son's situation with Will out of his mind. "I wish you had come to me when you knew what was going on with Chad and Will. I believe I could have approached the situation better if you had." Stefano pulled out his phone and noted he still had no return calls from Chad. "It bothers me that Chad thinks that I hate him. He won't answer or return my calls."

Kate softened and took Stefano's hands. "You should not think too much about that. It's possible that Chad may not have service where he is now. I'm sure he's not ignoring you. You can talk to Chad when he gets back and set everything straight."

"I don't hate him. There's no way I could ever hate my own child." Stefano looked at his phone hoping Chad would call back. He put his phone away realizing he was only torturing himself. "You're right. He would have called by now if he had service."

Kate gave Stefano a hug. "Does this mean that you're going to be more supportive of Chad's and Will's relationship?"

"I'm not exactly sure what to do because if Chad chooses to be with Will, he might not fit in the family business." Stefano thought about his family history and shook his head. "Sometimes I wonder if I should let Chad go."

"Let Chad go? What do you mean?" Kate asked giving Stefano a concerned look.

"I think I should let Chad move out so he can become his own man, but that goes against everything thing I want to give him." Stefano frowned. "I don't know. Maybe it was a mistake to bring him into the family business. Maybe it was a mistake to bring him into the family."

* * *

><p>In the master bedroom in the Dimera yacht, Will and Chad packed things they would need for their exploration trip with Sonny and Manny. They packed a few snacks, flashlights, and other things into their backpacks. Chad placed a gift from Maddalena that he bought for Will safely into his backpack. He wanted to give it to Will tonight. Will did the same. Neither of them knew they had the same idea. Chad looked up at Will and decided they should take advantage of the private time before heading out. He walked over to Will and picked him up from behind.<p>

"What are you doing?" Will asked as he smiled flirtatiously.

Chad carried Will over to his bag. "I need to pack you because I don't want to lose you."

Will maneuvered his head back and kissed Chad on the lips. "You're sweet. I don't want to lose you either."

Chad put Will down and turned him around to face him. He began to kiss Will again as both fell on the bed. "I think we should make up for last night."

The boys began to make out for a bit, but stopped when Will lightly pushed Chad off of him. "We need to finish getting ready. I'm sure Sonny and Manny are waiting for us. We can pick up when we get back tonight. I can talk Sonny into giving us at least an hour alone."

Chad knew Will was right. "I like that idea." Chad helped Will off the bed so they could get back to packing.

Will went over to his backpack to see what else he needed to pack. He grabbed his cell phone wondering if he should take it. "I just realized that I don't have service, which is weird because I had service this morning."

Chad grabbed his phone to check his service. "I don't either. I wonder where we are exactly."

Will shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe we're in the Bermuda triangle," Will joked as he winked at Chad. They both laughed. Will thought about getting extra batteries. "I'm going to see if anyone has any extra batteries." Will headed to the door, but it would not open. He realized it was locked. He turned to Chad and gave him a questioning look. "Did you lock the doors?"

Slightly embarrassed, Chad answered, "Yeah. I did in case anyone decided to just walk in."

Will did not want Chad to feel embarrassed. "Ah, that makes sense." Will turned and unlocked the door thinking about Chad's fear of others seeing them doing anything with each other. He tried not to think about it too much, but he could not help feeling a bit rejected as Chad had no problems with being public with Abigail and Mia. Will shook it off and left the room.

* * *

><p>Sonny headed to the bathroom to wash up before heading out with Manny, Will, and Chad. Before he could close the door, Dario walked in and closed the door behind him. Sonny turned to Dario and gave him an irritated look. "What are you doing?" Sonny headed for the door to leave.<p>

Dario quickly got in Sonny's way and locked the door. "I'm worried about you. I think Manny is up to something and I want you to not go with Manny to explore the island. You need to talk Chad and Will out of going as well."

Sonny's irritation quickly took over as he began to fume over Dario's request. "You need to stop doing this to me, Dario!" he demanded. "I am tired of hearing that you think your brother is up to something because even though he does make mistakes, he's a good guy. We both know what this is really about. You're jealous that I'm with Manny. Get over it because jealousy does not suit you." Sonny tried to get past Dario again, but Dario stopped him. "Do I have to remind you what you said this morning and all the times before that? You claimed you wanted to just be friends. Haven't you embarrassed me enough?"

Dario could see the hurt in Sonny's eyes, but he needed to get through to him. "I am here as your friend, Sonny. Aren't you supposed to trust your friends? What do I have to do to make you trust me?"

"Let me leave," Sonny said as he tried to leave again.

Dario fell back as Sonny pushed him out-of-the-way. "You need to hear me out." As Sonny tried to unlock the door, Dario grabbed Sonny, turned him around to face him, and pinned him against the wall. He knew he had to do whatever it took. He moved in closer to Sonny and kissed him.

Sonny began to kiss Dario back as he had wanted to do that ever since he met Dario, but pushed Dario off after he realized why Dario had kissed him. He looked at Dario. His eyes were filled with agony as he yelled at Dario, "You're an asshole! You are playing with my emotions just to get what you want. I can't be friends with you if you think you can kiss me whenever you want something to go your way." Sonny turned around and unlocked the door.

Dario realized he made things worse and feared he would not be able to get through to Sonny. He grabbed Sonny's arm to stop him. "I am your friend. I thought that…"

Sonny jerked his arm free from Dario. "Don't ever touch me again! Go to hell, Dario!" Sonny hurriedly walked off as he wiped his face.

Dario leaned against the bathroom wall wanting to cry. He knew he did not have time for that though. He needed to come up with another plan.

* * *

><p>Before getting ready for the charity dinner at Chez Rouge, Victor sat at his desk to make an important call. After dialing the number, he greeted the woman when she answered. "I need a favor from you. I need you to come back to Salem ASAP. … No, this is not about Brady. I already sent my private jet to pick you up so that you can arrive in Salem by tonight. … I'll have someone watch your mother as I really need your help and knowledge on someone." Victor did not want to go into specifics with her fearing that she might decide not to come. After she agreed to come, Victor smiled. "Good. I'll see you tonight. I'll have my driver bring you over to the mansion as soon as you arrive in Salem." Victor hung up and looked at a picture of his family. "I'll always be there for my family and take care of them no matter what."<p>

* * *

><p>As Manny made his way on deck, he thought about the bomb he just planted. He tried to relax about everything, but the fear of someone getting hurt made him nervous. He hated that his main contact had changed things. Manny wondered if there was more going on than the others told him. He spotted Chad, Will, and Sonny waiting for him with their backpacks. He adjusted his backpack and made his way over to them. "Are you guys ready to head out?"<p>

"Yeah, we're excited!" Will exclaimed ready to get off the yacht. He hoped Chad would be able to relax more when they were on the island.

Manny looked at Chad and then Sonny. He noticed that Sonny's eyes were a bit red. He looked everywhere for Dario, but did not see him. He wanted to talk to him before he left with the other guys. "I need to do one more thing."

"Okay," Chad said.

Manny made his way to Nathan, Melanie, Gabi, T, Josh, and Abigail. "You guys should do some exploring, too. Kate tells me that the island is really interesting, so you guys should leave before the sun sets."

"I don't want to go explore," Gabi announced making Manny nervous.

"At least go out for a bit. It will be good to get away from the yacht. Take advantage of being on land. Take your brother." Manny did not want his sister or brother near the yacht at all.

"Manny's right," Nathan said. "We should explore a little. I kind of want to get away from the water for a bit."

T turned to Gabi. "If anything comes, I'll protect you."

Josh grabbed Abigail. "The same goes to you."

"And you'll have me and Nathan. We can improvise if anyone gets hurt. We can watch out for everything." Melanie really wanted to explore as well.

Gabi rolled her eyes as she realized they would not take no as an option. "Fine. I'll go." Abigail gave in as well.

Nathan looked at everyone. "It's settled, we're all exploring the island. No one stays behind!"

"Awesome. You guys have fun." Manny turned around to head off with Chad, Will, and Sonny. He felt better knowing that everyone would be off the yacht.

Dario walked up on deck and spotted Sonny leaving with the other three. "I'm not going to let you guys go blindly with Manny," he whispered to himself. Dario slowly followed them from behind.


	70. Chapter 70 Malevolence

**Chapter 70: Malevolence – Thursday, August 11th, 2011**

Nathan went through a list of things he thought they should take on their trek. After going through the list, Nathan realized they were missing one thing. "We need to get flashlights."

"Why would we need flashlights?" Abigail asked nervously.

"In case we get stuck in the dark. We have a few hours before the sun sets." Nathan answered. "I'll go get a few from the equipment room."

Gabi looked over to Abigail. "I am not too keen on the idea of being out in the dark."

"Yeah," Abigail agreed. "We should shoot to get back before the sun sets."

"We will be okay, girls. There's nothing dangerous out there." Melanie said trying to assure them that this would be fun.

T grabbed Gabi's arm as Josh did the same for Abigail. "We'll protect you, remember?"

Abigail and Gabi looked to each other still feeling nervous. "Let's just get this over with."

Nathan returned with a few flashlights and gave one each to Gabi, Abigail, and Josh. "Let's get this show on the road." They made their way off the yacht.

* * *

><p>At the Dimera Mansion, Mary brought down the kids to say goodnight to their parents before they left for the charity dinner. "Go say goodnight." Mary put Sydney down next to Johnny, so they could run over and say goodnight.<p>

Johnny gave a hug to Sami first, while Sydney made her way to EJ. "Goodnight, mommy. Does this mean I have to go to sleep now?"

Sami gave Johnny a kiss on the cheek. "No, sweetheart. You will still have some time to eat and play. Daddy and I are going out tonight, so you have to say goodnight to us now because by the time we get home, you and your sister will already be asleep."

"Oh," Johnny said as he squirmed out of Sami's hands so he could give everyone else a hug.

After Sydney and Johnny finished giving everyone a hug and kiss, Mary took them back upstairs. EJ, Sami, Stefano, and Kate headed out for the charity event.

Back on the mysterious island, Chad, Will, Sonny, and Manny continued to walk through small trees exploring the island. Manny and Sonny led the way while Chad and Will followed them not too far behind. "I've spotted a few birds, but I have not seen any other type of animal. Is that normal?" Will asked loudly.

Sonny turned his head back to Will. "I guess it depends. Maybe we'll spot something when we get deeper into the island – whatever kind of island this is."

"Well, it looks like one that has gone through a rebirth," Manny shared.

Sonny smiled at Manny and took his arm to hold him close. He knew Manny was a good guy no matter what Dario said. "I'm so glad I'm with you."

Manny smiled back at Sonny trying to hide that he felt uncomfortable. "I am, too."

Chad noticed that Manny and Sonny were distracted with each other. He turned to Will believing that they could act out on their feelings. He grabbed Will's hand and kissed him. He glanced at Manny and Sonny to make sure they did not look over at them.

Will smiled and nudged Chad. "I'm so glad we can do these things out here. No one to watch us to make us feel uncomfortable. I never thought I would be this happy."

"Me neither." Chad pulled Will closer and kissed him again.

Sonny kissed Manny's shoulder. "Do you know where we're going exactly?"

"There's a special place I want to take all of us." Manny looked ahead knowing it would take a while before they got there.

Dario, who was still quietly following them, wondered if Manny had told him the truth. The thing that bothered him was the fact that he seemed to know a lot about the island. Dario wondered if Manny had been here before.

* * *

><p>Victor arrived at Chez Rouge and was greeted by Maggie. "Hey, Victor. If you want, you can have a seat next to Jennifer and Daniel at the table over there."<p>

"Thanks, Maggie." Victor walked over to Jennifer and Daniel and took a seat next to Daniel. "How are you two tonight? I did not expect to see you two here."

"We're fine, Victor." Jennifer looked around and found it odd that there were only three tables set up. "I'll be right back. I am going to check in with my Aunt Maggie." Jennifer got up and walked over to Maggie to talk to her about the charity event.

Victor looked the place over. "This is a bit strange. There are only so many tables set up. You would think more people would come to this."

Daniel shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. Maybe it's a small charity dinner. Maybe... exclusive."

Jennifer stood next to Maggie by the door. "Aunt Maggie, I'm just curious about who set up this event. So far I haven't really seen anyone that is from the charity. Don't you find that odd?"

Maggie began to look through her things. "The man that set everything up gave me his card. I believe his last name was Crocker or something like that." Maggie continued to look for the card. "I must have left his card in my office. Anyway, he came in and reserved the restaurant for the night with cash. I thought it was a bit odd, but when I saw that it was for charity, I accepted a discounted price. I looked the charity up and made a few calls and apparently it's the real deal." Maggie decided she needed to find that card, so she could remember the man's name. "I'll be right back. Hopefully I'll find the man's business card in my office as it would be embarrassing if I did not know his name."

Before Maggie could leave, Stefano, Kate, EJ, and Sami arrived. Maggie took them to an empty table and then headed back to her office. Kate looked the place over and noticed how small it was as well. "Anyone else think this charity event might not have a big showing because it was late notice?" Kate noted there were only three tables. "Maybe we're the only ones who RSVP'd."

After helping Sami in her seat, EJ took a seat next to her. He turned to Kate. "I talked to Lexie and Abe about the charity dinner and they informed me that they never got an invite."

"That's weird that the mayor of Salem and the chief-of-staff at Salem University Hospital were not invited. Maybe their invite got lost in the mail," Sami suggested.

Adrienne and Justin arrived and spotted Jennifer waiting at the door. "Are you helping Maggie tonight?" Adrienne asked.

"Oh, no. I was waiting for her to come back, but I guess I could just go back to the table to wait for her." Jennifer looked at her table and noticed there were a couple of extra seats. "You should sit with us." As they made their way to the table, Jennifer turned her head to Justin and Adrienne. "Whoever set this up is very mysterious."

"Do you know where we're supposed to place our donations?" Justin asked.

"I believe we pay for the plates and donate extra money after the event is over," Jennifer shared. After everyone took a seat, dinner was served.

* * *

><p>"Is there anyway we could take a break?" Chad asked. "We've been walking for a while through all of this and I feel like we should take some of it in."<p>

Manny stopped walking and turned back to Chad and Will. "Sure. Take a break. Look around."

Will found a tree to lean on. When Chad walked closer to him, he pulled Chad on him. "I don't really need to look around," Will said as he looked into his eyes.

Chad blushed but felt uncomfortable. "This is kind of weird because Manny and Sonny can see us."

"Relax, Chad. They don't care." Will looked past Chad and yelled at Manny and Sonny, "Hey! Do you two promise not to tell anyone else about what Chad and I are doing out here?"

"Of course," Sonny yelled back. Manny agreed to keep his mouth shut as well.

Will smiled at Chad. "See. You have no reason to feel awkward. They don't care." Will pulled Chad into a kiss and they began to make out.

Sonny smiled as he watched Chad and Will get more comfortable with each other. He walked over to Manny hoping he could have a make out session with him. "Hey, babe." Sonny grabbed Manny to kiss him, but Manny deflected. "Something wrong?"

"No, I just need to take a bathroom break. I'll be right back." Manny gave Sonny a quick peck and headed out so that he would have some distance from the others.

After Manny disappeared, Chad and Will stopped making out because Sonny was alone. They walked over to talk to him. "So how are things with you and Manny?" Chad asked.

"They're good, I guess. He can be really hot and then really cold sometimes." Sonny did not want to think negative and wondered if he doubted Manny's feelings because of what happened with Dario. He did not want to doubt Manny just because of how Dario treated him.

Will felt bad for Sonny because he knew Sonny still loved Dario and was most likely rebounding with Manny. He knew he could not say it to Sonny though because they were sort of on a double date. "Are you and Dario okay?"

"I really don't want to talk about him," Sonny answered.

Dario watched them from a distance feeling horrible about what happened in the bathroom on the yacht. He decided to check on what his brother was doing. He slowly and quietly moved to find his brother.

Manny pulled out a device to check out their coordinates. "We're halfway there," he whispered to himself.

Dario watched as Manny messed with the device and took one more step to see if he could hear him. As he took the step, he accidentally stepped on a branch making a sound.

Manny quickly turned around to see what made that noise. He put up his device and saw no one. Dario had hidden behind a tree. Manny turned his head towards the other guys and decided they needed to continue on. As Manny walked back to the guys, Dario took a deep breath thankful that Manny did not see him.

* * *

><p>Back at Chez Rouge, Maggie walked around to each table to make sure that everything tasted fine. She first stopped at the Dimera table. She smiled at everyone. "How is the food?"<p>

"Exquisite," Stefano answered. The others agreed.

"Good." Maggie turned to Sami and EJ. "How was your honeymoon?"

"Maggie, it was beautiful and very romantic." Sami turned to EJ. "EJ spoiled me rotten."

"I hope he's still spoiling you rotten," Maggie joked.

"Oh, trust me, I am. I know what I need to do to survive," EJ joked back before giving Sami a kiss on her head.

Maggie laughed and then got serious. "Sami, how is your grandmother doing?"

"She's healing and should be coming back to the pub soon. We're probably going to have a family meeting about helping her through her recovery." Sami knew that things would be different now because of Caroline's stroke.

"When are the people in charge of this charity dinner going to show up?" Kate asked.

"Well, I just got a phone call not too long ago from the charity trustee. He said that they were in a car accident on the way over," Maggie shared. "Everyone is fine, but they are waiting on a cab to pick them up. They asked me to play an introduction video in about ten minutes to give them time to show up and start the formalities."

"Glad everyone is okay. Must be a stressful night for them. If they need me to, I will gladly pay for their cab fair." EJ took a drink of his wine.

At the other table, Daniel took a bite of his food and turned to Adrienne and Justin. "Did you two ever get a hold of Sonny?"

Justin shook his head. "No. He hasn't called us. I'm beginning to wonder if he decided not to charge his phone. He does that a lot when he visits a new place. He claims that he doesn't want anything to distract him from taking everything in."

"I really hope that's it." Adrienne knew she had to trust her son but she hated that he did not call.

"Well, I'm sure we'll get answers soon enough," Victor said cryptically.

Jennifer looked up and spotted Maggie walking over. "Aunt Maggie, were you able to find the business card?"

"No, I looked in my office and could not find it," Maggie responded. "To be honest, the last time I remember seeing it was right after he gave it to me. The man accidentally spilled his drink and maybe I dropped it. I don't remember."

Victor looked at Maggie. "I don't like the sound of that." Victor wondered if there was another agenda for this dinner. "Are the people from the charity ever going to show up?"

Maggie nodded. "Well, I am going to play an introductory video soon so that the trustee and other people from the charity have time to arrive. They were in a car accident and are waiting for a cab." Maggie looked at her watch, and looked back to the others. "I should probably get that video set up."

Maggie headed to her office to grab the tape while the others continued to eat. She finally came back after setting up the video to introduce it. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are going to play a short introductory video. I just talked to the trustee of the charity and they are almost here. So without further ado…" Maggie walked off and the lights dimmed.

Everyone looked up at the screen as the video started. A man appeared and began to talk about the different aspects of the charity and how they try to help deaf orphan children. The man then talked about how their donations and support can go a long way. Suddenly the video cut out and everything went black.

Maggie decided to head back to see if she could fix the problem, but the video came back on and continued. This time pictures of the group that went on the yacht trip appeared on the screen. Everyone began to look at each other because they were confused as to what was happening. They wondered why they were looking at pictures of their children on the screen. EJ spotted another picture of Manny and familiarity came back to him. He wished he could remember where he had seen Manny before.

The screen went black again for a few seconds before it lit up again. This time the video showed Rafe standing in his jail suit. "What in the hell?" Sami yelled. She turned to EJ and did not understand. "Something is going on. Was this recorded before Rafe died?"

"I don't know, Samantha. I believe we have been set up." EJ looked back at the screen as Rafe began to talk.

"I'm here on business everyone. I have planned all of this since I got arrested." Rafe gave a creepy smile as he continued, "As you are watching this video, your children, grandchildren, great-nephews, nieces, step-children, brothers, cousins, and friends are being held hostage. All of you played a part in taking away my future, so now I am going to take yours away from you." Rafe mocked them. "You should have never double crossed me. My only regret is that I cannot see your faces right now." Rafe looked down, but then quickly back up. "Don't bother trying to call your kids. There's no cell service where they are."

The screen immediately went black again. This time for good. As the lights came on, everyone immediately stood up wondering how Rafe was able to hijack the charity dinner. As everyone looked around, some realized that the whole charity event was a set up. Jennifer and Adrienne walked over to Maggie and began to bombard her with questions. EJ held Sami as she feared for Will's and Chad's life. Stefano glared at the screen and cursed Rafe.


	71. Chapter 71 Explosive

**Chapter 71: Explosive – Thursday, August 11th, 2011**

At Chez Rouge everyone continued to be in a panic at the news that their kids were now hostages of whoever was working for Rafe. Everyone believed that Rafe committed suicide after setting everything in motion. EJ turned to Stefano and Kate after talking to Marco. "You two should head back to the mansion as Marco is outside waiting to take you there." EJ turned to Kate as he motioned them towards the exit. "Kate, please keep an eye on my father. I don't want him to stress out too much."

Stefano stopped EJ from pushing them out the door. "What are you two going to do?"

"Samantha and I will get the private jet ready while you two go with Marco to get the coordinates of the yacht. That will help us find them quicker," EJ answered as he began to replay Rafe's message in his mind. EJ realized that this was Rafe's plan all along and he was only teasing them to let them know he had not forgotten about them. He then wondered if Rafe found out about the informant and had him killed. EJ stepped back as a ton of bricks hit him. He remembered where he had seen Manny before. "Good God," EJ said to himself.

"What is it, son?" Stefano noticed that EJ had a fearful look about him.

"I just remembered where I've seen Manny before," EJ started as Sami, Kate, and Stefano gave him their full attention. "He was the man who I caught spying on me at the gym when Chad went on that camping trip!"

Hearing EJ's revelation made Kate have her own. "Oh no," she gasped. "He's been working for Rafe this whole time and I gave him the perfect opportunity to take the kids away from Salem and out of our grasp."

"We don't have time for this!" EJ claimed as he pushed his father and Kate out the door. "Call me when you get the coordinates."

After Stefano and Kate left, Sami tried to stay focused. "Let's hurry to the airport. I need to save my son from Rafe's brother."

Before they could leave, Victor made his way to EJ. "Wait. I think we should work together so that we can get to the kids faster."

"I think that's a good plan. I'll call you with the coordinates of the yacht as soon as my father gives them to me." EJ made sure his phone was not on silent when he thought of an idea. "I think we should call Arianna. She may be able to help us."

Victor smiled. "I'm already ahead of you." After EJ and Sami left, Victor turned to his family. "We should head back to the mansion and regroup. EJ will call us with coordinates."

Before they left, Jennifer gave Maggie a hug. "I know all of this is overwhelming for you as well. Are you going to be okay?"

Maggie felt bad that she could not offer any more information. "I'll be fine. I'll search my office and make some calls to see if I can gather anything that might help us get our family back."

* * *

><p>At the Dimera Mansion, Stefano, Kate, and Marco arrived. Marco grabbed a laptop and began to go into the system to find the yacht through its GPS system. As Marco took a seat at the desk with the laptop, he tried to get into the system, but looked up with disappointing news. "Someone has blocked our access to the yacht, but I can get through it."<p>

"Do what you have to, Marco." Stefano turned to Kate and became frustrated for her part in letting this happen. "If anything happens to Chad, I will blame you for the rest of your life. I will never ever forgive you!"

"I'm sorry," Kate said as Stefano turned his back on her. It did not help as she was already beating herself up for her mistake. She could not lose her grandson or Chad. She hoped that Marco would be able to find the yacht. She felt so guilty for trusting Manny and letting him use her for his own plans of revenge.

* * *

><p>As Nathan, Melanie, Gabi, T, Abigail, and Josh walked through the island in a different direction, Gabi smiled at the fact that they were not hanging out with Chad, Will, and Sonny. "It's great that we can have fun and not worry about seeing two guys holding hands or kissing. I'm glad we're all straight."<p>

Abigail could not take Gabi's attitude against homosexuality anymore. She had held in her pain of giving up on Chad and could no longer hold it in. "Will you please shut up about how you're happy that we're not around gays? There's nothing wrong with it. I get that you're hurt because of what happened between you and Will, but I got hurt as well and you don't see me talking about how gay people are stupid. I'm tired of hearing about it!"

Gabi looked back at Abigail in shock. "I'm sorry if I am annoying you, but I won't apologize for what I believe!"

Melanie stepped up to Gabi before Abigail could yell back. She did not want a fight to ensue. In a calm voice, Melanie spoke to Gabi, "I think everyone has a right to believe, but what you are doing is hate. Can't you see it's hurting you as well? As long as you hold onto that anger, you're only going to make sure you're never fully happy. You'll never be able to move on."

"I have T!" Gabi countered. "I am happy."

"As much as I want to make you happy, you're not," T took Gabi's hand to make her see that Melanie was right. "I am not mad at you, so please don't take this the wrong way, but sometimes when we are alone you talk about how much you hate Sonny for turning Will, Chad, and Manny gay. I want to take away that hurt, but only you can."

"T's right," Nathan said. "Gabi, look. I understand where you're coming from because at one point I hated all gay people. I thought they were all sick, but then I realized that I was basing my opinion on one guy who was a creep. Truth be told, a person can be a creep whether they are gay or straight."

Gabi shook her head at them feeling attacked and singled out. "You don't get it. My mother is a devout Catholic and I was taught that it is wrong because God says so. They are evil for what they are doing. They should not be accepted."

"They should not be accepted?" Nathan questioned Gabi's resolve. "Gabi, this is your brother, one of your best friends, and someone else you called your friend. Why are you treating them like their nobodies?...like they're not important?"

Gabi calmed down as Nathan's questions hit her. "I don't want to talk about it. I'm done. I'll just keep my thoughts to myself from now on."

Feeling awkward about what just happened, Josh looked up at the sky and noticed it had gotten darker. "Looks like the sunset is almost over."

"Can we just go back to the yacht?" Gabi asked wanting to be alone.

Abigail had calmed down a bit since she let everything out. She felt bad for releasing her pain and frustration on Gabi, but could not look at her. "Yeah, we should probably head back. I am not keen on the idea of getting lost out here."

"I guess we can head back." Nathan grabbed Melanie's hand.

"Good!" Gabi began to walk away, but tripped and fell. As everyone ran to her side to see if she was okay, they all heard a big explosion. Everyone looked at each other, while Gabi laid on the ground wondering what the noise was.

* * *

><p>Sonny, Will, Chad, and Manny heard the explosion as well. As the others turned to the direction they heard the noise come from, Manny looked down realizing the bomb went off. He prayed that the others got off the yacht like they said they would.<p>

"What do you think that was?" Chad asked.

"I don't know, but there's a glow in that direction," Will noticed.

Manny needed to keep them focused on their destination. He realized he did not think the bomb thing through as he assumed they would not be able to notice it when it went off. "I think you're just looking at a cloud that is being lit up by the sun as it sets." Manny put his arm around Sonny. "That noise was probably our first animal noise since we started exploding... I mean exploring."

Dario accidentally made a noise as he moved in closer making the others believe that Manny could be right. He stood still trying to avoid being seen as he wondered if Manny was connected to the noise they all heard in the distance. He hoped that the others were okay.

"We should keep going," Manny said trying to keep to the schedule. "We don't want to miss out on a great experience."

Sonny stopped Manny. "I think we should turn around and head back. It's getting dark."

Will and Chad agreed. "Yeah, I don't like the idea of getting lost out here in the dark," Will said as he pulled Chad closer to him.

"Don't worry about getting lost." Manny pulled out the device he looked at earlier. "Kate gave me this state of the art compass that can take us anywhere we need to go." Manny let them look it over. "Besides, we're almost at our destination and we can just use the flashlights."

Sonny turned to Chad and Will not wanting to disappoint Manny. "I guess since we're almost there and Manny can get us back to the yacht, we should keep going."

Chad turned to Will. "I think it will be good."

"Yeah, let's keep going," Will said to Sonny and Manny. As the guys continued, they pulled out their flashlights and turned them on.

* * *

><p>Back at the Dimera Mansion, Marco finally broke through and found the coordinates of the yacht. He looked up at Stefano as he grabbed a pen. "I found the yacht!"<p>

As Marco wrote down the coordinates, Stefano looked at the screen to see how far it was from Salem. Looking at the coordinates, he realized where the kids were. "Dear God." Stefano turned around wondering what it meant.

"Wait, I don't know if that's right." Marco began to type on the keyboard.

Kate noticed that Stefano seemed somewhere else, but leaned in on what Marco was doing. "What do you mean? What's going on?"

"I lost the yacht. It's like it just disappeared." Marco shared. "I cannot find it anywhere else."

Kate began to worry even more as she thought of the worst case scenario. "This can't happen. Does that mean something happened to it?"

"We need to stay calm. I'll call EJ and give him the coordinates so that the pilots will be ready when I get there." Stefano pulled out his phone to call EJ.

* * *

><p>"Ugh… this waiting is killing me. I need to get a hold of Will. He's not answering his cell." Sami looked over at EJ wondering what Will and the others were going through.<p>

"Rafe said there would be no cell service there." EJ's phone began to ring. Both Sami's and EJ's face lit up as he answered it. "Father, did you get the coordinates?"

After giving EJ the coordinates, Stefano added what happened. "Now, those were the last coordinates that we had of the yacht before it disappeared on the screen. I think that the yacht may have been damaged somehow. Marco and I will be headed over as soon as possible."

"You want us to wait?" EJ asked his father as he did not want to waste any time.

Sami did not want to waste time either. "I don't want to wait. Tell him we don't want to wait."

"Yes, do not leave without me," Stefano demanded. "I want to see my son for myself."

"Fine, we'll wait," EJ told his father. Sami looked down disappointed. "Get here as soon as possible, but tell Marco to be careful." After hanging up, EJ turned to Sami to give her hope. "I am sure they are fine. There are lots of them and Manny is only one person. There's no way he could overpower all of them."

"I hope you're right." Sami pulled away from EJ and took a seat trying not to stress too much.

"I am going to call Victor to give him these coordinates." EJ went to dial Victor's number, but before he could finish dialing, someone hit him over the head knocking him out cold as he fell to the floor.

Sami heard EJ hit the floor. "EJ!" She turned around to see someone else standing there with a gun. "I thought you were dead."

"Did you miss me baby cakes?" Rafe said with a smile as he pulled out a sheet of paper with his free hand and gave it to Sami. "Those are the new coordinates. Give them to the pilots via the airplane phone there. Tell them that we are ready to leave!"

Sami could not believe Rafe was alive. She grabbed the phone and gave the pilots the coordinates like Rafe asked and told them to take off. After she hung up, she turned to Rafe. "Why are you doing this?"

"Didn't you watch the video at Chez Rouge?" Rafe asked as he shook his head at her. "I worked hard on that video! I recorded it outside of prison, so I had to make it look like I was still there before I 'killed' myself."

Sami looked down at EJ and rushed over to him. "EJ, can you hear me?" EJ?"

Rafe laughed at Sami and pulled out some handcuffs. He threw it down on EJ's body. "Put them on your fucking husband around that pole. Yeah, I heard you got married. Why didn't I get an invite?"

Sami glared at Rafe. "You know, you're like a cockroach."

Rafe pointed the gun to EJ's head. "Watch it, Sami. I know it's hard for you not to be a bitch, but if you want to see EJ's eyes again, you better be a good girl and listen to daddy." Rafe smugly smirked at Sami as she began to put the handcuffs on EJ. She feared what Rafe had planned.


	72. Chapter 72 Hostages, Pt 1

**Chapter 72: Hostages, Pt. 1 – Thursday, August 11th, 2011**

At the Kiriakis Mansion, everyone was arguing about the best course of action on saving the kids. Victor stood up and yelled over them. "Quiet! I already have a plan."

Everyone turned to face Victor. "What are you going to do?" Justin asked.

"I'm flying out to look for them. I have some kind of idea what direction they were going in if EJ does not come through." Victor looked them all over wondering why he had not heard back from EJ yet. "Not all of you can come though. I can only take a couple in case some of the kids have to fly back with me. If I allowed you all to come the risk of anyone else getting hurt will go up."

Daniel turned to Jennifer placing his hands on her shoulders. "I'll go and make sure Abigail makes it home safely to you."

"Okay, we have Daniel. We have room for one more," Victor announced.

Justin wanted to go, but before he could say anything, Henderson showed in Arianna and introduced her. Adrienne turned to Victor, "What's she doing here?"

"I asked her to come to Salem. She's got the last spot on our flight as she is our best shot at getting through to Manny before he brings harm on anyone on the trip." Victor turned to Arianna. "Thanks for coming."

Arianna looked around curious as to why Victor brought her to Salem and what he meant when he mentioned Manny. "What is going on? Why do you believe Manny would harm anyone?"

Victor looked at the time. "We can't waste time here anymore. We should get to the airport. I'll let you know what's going on as we head over to the airport." Victor shook his head because EJ had let him down. He hoped EJ would contact him by the time he got to the airport to leave. "We will come back with everyone. I promise you."

Justin, Adrienne, and Jennifer stood next to each other as they watched the others leave. They hoped Victor would come through on his promise.

* * *

><p>Kate followed Stefano and Marco outside of the Dimera Mansion as they headed to the car. Stefano turned around to stop her from following him. "Katherine, I don't want you going on this trip. I want you to stay here and take care of Johnny and Sydney. I also want you to keep an eye out in case you see anything suspicious. Don't leave your guard down." Stefano knew this was not the time to lash out on Kate, but Kate could still sense his anger and disappointment.<p>

"Stefano, I am sorry I failed and let Manny go with them. I should have had him checked out." Kate tried to put her hand on his shoulder.

"We'll talk when I return." Stefano turned and sat in the passenger seat of the car as Kate went back into the mansion. Marco and Stefano headed to the airport.

As they headed to the airport, Marco got a call. Marco answered and got some bad news. After hanging up, he turned to Stefano. "You're not going to like this, Mr. Dimera, but the jet already took off. Apparently Sami made the call. What do you want to do, sir?"

Stefano became even more frustrated. "I want you to get to the airport quickly. I think if we hurry we can catch a ride with Victor." Stefano looked out the window frustrated that Sami talked EJ into leaving him behind.

* * *

><p>T helped Gabi up as everyone wondered what made that loud sound. After helping her up, he picked up what she tripped on and realized it was part of a round sign. T scraped off the dirt as he looked at it. "This is weird. It looks like a piece of a sign. The letters "S" and "a" are on it. The font looks really familiar."<p>

Nathan and Abigail walked over to look at the sign. Nathan looked around using a flashlight and noticed something else. "Guys, look. We are surrounded by a few burnt down structures."

"This is too weird," Abigail said.

Josh made his way over to the sign and realized why T thought it looked familiar. "Guys, that looks like a part of the Salem Place sign."

Gabi wiped the dirt off her clothes. "Why would that be here?"

Melanie began to explore and found a few more signs in the ground. "I don't know, but I think I just found a sign that looks like it used to say Java Café," Melanie said before finding another sign. "I think this one is the movie theater sign."

Gabi looked around again and got an eerie feeling. "Once again, I have to ask why are all these Salem Place signs on this island? Where are we?"

Fear came over Abigail's face and filled her eyes as she realized where they were. "I know where we are." Abigail paused as she could not believe where they were. "My brother was born on this island."

* * *

><p>At the airport, Victor looked at his phone. He was frustrated because EJ had not called him with the coordinates yet. "Damn it, EJ. Why haven't you called yet?" Victor made a call to Nico. "Hey, do you know if the Dimera jet has already left the premises?"<p>

Before Nico could answer, Stefano and Marco boarded Victor's private jet. "EJ and Sami already left. They were supposed to wait for us, but Sami talked him into leaving. We need to ride over with you."

"Hold on, Nico." Victor turned to Stefano. "You don't think that's suspicious? EJ was supposed to call me, but he did not. Maybe we should track your private plane."

Stefano turned to Marco, while Victor hung up with Nico. "Marco, go up to the cockpit and give the information they need to track our jet and give them the coordinates we got from the yacht." After Marco headed up there, Stefano noticed that Arianna was on board. "What the hell is she doing here?"

"She's our best bet to stopping this mess. I just informed her of everything that happened." Victor looked over Arianna. "Are you up for the challenge?"

"I just can't believe Manny did this," Arianna admitted. "Someone must have gotten to him when he was released. I don't think it was Rafe because he was in police custody. It had to be someone else unless Rafe got to him before." Arianna could not make sense of it all.

"Well, Rafe is dead," Stefano replied smugly. "If your brother, Manny. harms a hair of my son, I promise he will share the same fate as Rafe!"

"Cool it," Daniel stood up to Stefano. "No one is going to be hurt. We have to think positive and if Manny really did kidnap our children than he will get what he deserves the legal way even if we all want to strangle his neck."

Stefano looked down. "I can't be positive that everyone is safe. The yacht is gone. We were able to get coordinates before it disappeared on screen. I'm afraid the yacht has been destroyed somehow."

"We need to get there soon." Victor called the pilots to get the jet in the air ASAP. The pilots told them they were headed towards the runway now.

* * *

><p>On the Dimera Jet, Sami sat on a seat in handcuffs as she kept her eyes on EJ. He was still knocked out from the blow. She wondered how they would get out of this one and could not believe that Rafe was still alive. She turned when EJ made a soft sound.<p>

EJ began to move his head around in pain. He tried to touch his head, but his hands were handcuffed behind him. He finally opened his eyes and saw Sami. "Samantha, what is going on?" EJ looked at Sami as she motioned for him to look in a different direction. He looked over and spotted Rafe standing there giving him a self-satisfied look. "You are a bastard! You are going to pay for what you've done!"

"Right." Rafe smirked at EJ while rolling his eyes.

"How are you even still alive? Your death was confirmed." EJ tried to make sense of everything and realized Manny confirmed Rafe's body at the prison. "Did you use a double and kill him?"

Rafe shook his head. "I wish. That would have been a lot more comfortable." Rafe smiled as he turned to Sami. "I'm going to finish what I started three years ago." Rafe began to reminisce about what happened when he came into Salem. "I would have finished the job if it wasn't for you two, Victor, and the Salem Police Department. Who knew they had a brain?"

Rafe chuckled as he continued, "I'll admit putting you in a coma with those drugs I used on Emily was an accident. I had to hold off the Salem PD and the doctors because they found those drugs in your system, but man… the quiet was such a nice change. Not having to hear your voice or see you cry was a gift. I think that was my favorite part of being in prison as well." Rafe turned to EJ. "You would not stay away from her and because of that she woke up. I thought I was done for when you told Sami what happened causing her to break it off with me. You made her scared of me!"

Rafe shook his head. "I guess I was right because Victor helped the Salem PD make the connection. I had to take things into my own hands, so I kidnapped you and held you hostage," Rafe turned to Sami with anger in his eyes. "Remember our little talk about how I killed my ex-fiancé, Emily, and how I promised you that you were next? I never gave you the full story about why I came to Salem because your idiot boy toy over here stopped me before I could finish you off!" Rafe glared at EJ.

"Why the hell did you come to Salem to kill me?" Sami demanded to know.

"You still don't get it. I did not come here just to ruin your life. I came here to ruin a lot of lives… yours, EJ's, Victor's, Nicole's – she was easy – the rest of the Dimera family, the Horton family, and the Brady family." Rafe looked into Sami's eyes. "Still don't get it? I did not come here on my own accord. I came here because someone hired me. They needed someone who could easily sneak into all of your lives without any suspicion. You going into witness protection was the perfect opportunity because I was a real FBI agent. But none of that matters now because everyone thinks I am dead. I can get away with anything!"

EJ and Sami could not believe it and wondered who would hire Rafe in the first place. EJ still did not understand how Rafe survived hanging himself. "How did you survive hanging yourself in the prison cell?"

"Why does it matter?" Rafe asked rhetorically. "Don't you know by now that no one dies in Salem?" Rafe looked out the window while touching his gun. Spotting the burning yacht he announced, "We're almost there."

"We're almost where?" Sami asked.

Rafe ignored Sami and pulled out his gun. "We're going to have lots of fun!"

* * *

><p>Manny, Sonny, Will, and Chad finally arrived to their designated spot. Manny realized they were late, but hoped that things would still work out just as Rafe, his main contact, had planned. He needed them there, so that the guys' parents and grandparents would clear Rafe's name so he would be out of prison.<p>

Sonny, Will, and Chad looked the place over in awe. They realized they had discovered a volcanic crater. "This thing is huge!" Chad exclaimed.

"From what Kate told me, the volcano is extinct," Manny informed the others even though Kate said no such thing. Manny did know that the volcano was extinct though.

Sonny put his arms around Manny. "I love it. It's so peaceful out here. We should lay out and look at the stars!"

Manny kissed Sonny. "I'm glad you like it."

As the guys grabbed blankets from their bags and placed them on the crater to lay down, Dario relaxed against a tree. He felt relieved that Manny was telling the truth. He watched as Sonny and Manny shared a blanket. He wondered if he wanted to believe Manny was up to something only because he was jealous. Watching Manny and Sonny cuddle on the blanket made Dario think about how he cuddled with Sonny when he got in bed with him the night before. Dario remembered sneaking onto the bed and pulling Sonny closer to him while he slept. Dario wanted to hold Sonny now, but pushed the thought outside of his head. He looked away so he would not have to see them together.

Chad and Will shared a blanket and held each other as they looked up at the stars. "It's beautiful, but not as beautiful as you."

Will turned his head to Chad wanting to laugh. "You're so corny sometimes and I love it." Chad and Will began to make out. Chad grabbed the back of Will's head. Their legs intertwined as they laid on their sides not wanting to part lips. Will put his hand on Chad's hip and began to push Chad's body closer. They loved being outside. Will believed Chad was finally feeling comfortable with him as he could feel Chad's excitement pressing against him.

Sonny turned his body towards Manny to cuddle with him. Sonny gave Manny a kiss. "You're the best boyfriend ever." Sonny wanted to let Manny know that he was ready to move forward with their relationship.

Manny smiled, but felt guilty inside because of what he had to do. "You're a great guy, Sonny." Manny looked back up at the stars wishing for this whole ordeal to be over so that everyone could move on with their lives. He wondered why he had not been able to get in touch with Rafe. He should have heard from him by now. He wondered if he should call Rafe's friend again to see if he heard from Rafe, but he did not know how to excuse himself from the others.

Sonny noticed that Manny was deep in thought. He placed his hand under Manny's shirt and began to rub his chest to get his attention. "Are you okay?"

Manny nodded his head as he continued to think about how he got into all of this. He remembered being released from prison and walking up to a limo that had his name on it. He remembered someone rolling down the window and telling him to get inside. The man had a foreign accent – clearly not American – and claimed to be a friend of Rafe's. Manny was told that Rafe had a plan of how to get out and needed Manny's help to pull it off. The man took him to the island that he was on now with the others.

Manny remembered later visiting Rafe in prison. Rafe told Manny that they were going to get Victor, Stefano, or both of them to clear his name so that he would be released from prison by kidnapping family members. Rafe promised him that no one would get hurt at first because that's what he had told his friend.

Manny visited again and was able to smuggle some drug that Rafe's friend gave him. Manny was not sure what it would do, but knew that Rafe would survive from "death". It was then that Rafe told Manny his change of plans, but he asked Manny not to tell his friend because he would not go for it. Rafe told Manny to continue with the plan of kidnapping Chad, Will, and Sonny to bring them back to this island. He told Manny to wait for his call when he had them on the island. Rafe planned on being in Salem to confront everyone that put him in prison, while Manny secretly held the guys hostage.

Manny remembered calling Rafe about Chad's trip, and Rafe then told Manny to blow up the yacht when they got there, so no one would escape. He also asked Manny to take pictures of the kids and send it to him. To keep everything under wraps, Rafe told Manny to never mention each others names when leaving a voicemail or sending a text. Manny kept thinking that Rafe promised no one would get hurt, but now Manny feared something would go wrong because he had not heard from Rafe.

Manny's thoughts were interrupted when Sonny yelled and pointed to the sky. "Look, a shooting star. Make a wish."

Manny looked up and saw it. "I wish that I never have anymore regrets."

"You're not supposed to tell me your wish. Now it won't come true," Sonny joked with Manny. "Why would you have any regrets?"

Manny looked into Sonny's eyes. "I don't want to ruin our fun on this trip." Manny looked back to the sky hoping that he would not have to do anything for his family that he knew he would regret later.


	73. Chapter 73 Hostages, Pt 2

**Chapter 73: Hostages, Pt. 2 – Thursday, August 11th, 2011**

On the island, Abigail continued to tell the others about what happened on Melaswen. "When almost everyone came to this island to rescue everyone else, it was revealed that André, who everyone thought was Tony at the time, had faked everyone's death and brought all of them to this island to keep them captive. He wanted revenge for everyone who wronged him and came up with this whole elaborate plan. As everyone was escaping, André set something to go off making a volcano explode. Fortunately everyone got off the island. Other stuff happened after, but that's another story for another time."

Josh looked over at Nathan and Melanie. "We saw that volcanic rock on the beach. I can't believe we're on the very island I heard rumors about." Josh turned to Abigail. "I remember when everyone thought your father was dead."

Abigail looked down as she thought about her father. "I thought we got him back for good when he came home from that Dimera Castle, but then came more lies and faked deaths."

Josh put his arms around Abigail as he could tell that talking about her father really upset her. "It's okay. He'll be back one day."

Gabi looked at everyone as they just stood there. "Why are we still standing here? I say we get back to the yacht and get the hell off of this island. Whatever sick joke Kate is playing with us, it's not funny."

Nathan took Melanie's hand. "I agree. We should get to the yacht and tell Manny we want to sail out tonight."

"What if the other guys aren't at the yacht?" T asked.

"Hopefully that won't be the case. It's late!" Melanie responded as she led the others back to the yacht.

* * *

><p>At the Dimera Mansion, Kate was on the phone with Lucas informing him of what happened. She felt bad for her part in the situation, but knew she needed to stay positive even if she was cracking at the seams. "I hope that the kids are okay."<p>

"I'm going to take the next flight out to Salem," Lucas said.

"Lucas, you need to be in Hong Kong," Kate responded. "I'm sure Will is in good hands. Victor and Stefano are working together to bring everyone back!"

Lucas had his doubts. "This is exactly why I hate the fact that you and Sami are married to Dimera men. There's always trouble and they put my kids in danger!" Lucas thought about Will and Chad. "Should I be worried about Chad and Will? Is Chad going to put Will in danger when they get back?"

Kate became upset with Lucas's accusations. "Lucas, this is not Stefano's fault, Chad's fault or EJ's fault. I blame Rafe Hernandez. I damn the day he first stepped foot in Salem."

* * *

><p>As they were in the sky in the Kiriakis jet, Marco came out of the cockpit. "The Dimera jet has passed the coordinates we got on the yacht before it disappeared. It appears they are going to land on the other side of the island. The pilots want to know if we should land by the yacht or keep following the others."<p>

Daniel stood up and looked out the window and spotted something that looked like it was in flames. He immediately realized that it was the yacht. "Stefano, I think you were right about something happening to the yacht. It's on fire! I want to go there now to see if anyone is hurt!"

"We will land by the yacht, but not yet. If it's alright with Marco and Arianna, we will fly over the other jet so they can parachute out to check on EJ and Sami. Something is definitely wrong here."

"Where are the parachutes?" Arianna asked as she stood up.

Victor stood up. "I'll show you. They're in the back." Victor, Arianna, and Marco headed to the back.

Daniel took a seat a bit frustrated that they were wasting time when they needed to get to the burning yacht. "They better be okay," he said to himself trying to hold himself together thinking about Melanie's safety. "I can't lose my daughter. I just got her."

Stefano felt Daniel's pain. "They will be okay, Dr. Jonas. I just got my son Chad and I can't lose him either." Stefano looked at his phone wishing he could call EJ to find out what was going on. He worried that something happened to EJ and Sami.

* * *

><p>The Dimera jet had landed already. Before the pilots could talk to EJ and Sami about what they wanted to do next, Rafe went into the cockpit and shot and killed the pilots. Rafe walked back out with his gun still in his hand. Smirking at Sami and EJ, he told them, "I'm going hunting to kill Chad, Will, and Sonny."<p>

"You're a bastard! You better stay away from my son and Chad!" Sami yelled at Rafe.

Rafe walked over to Sami and began to stroke her cheek with his gun. "I will never miss hearing your voice once you're gone."

EJ struggled wishing he could break his handcuffs to strangle Rafe. "Get your hands off my wife! Stop being a coward!"

Rafe walked over to EJ and hit him. "Watch it!" He stepped back to talk to both EJ and Sami. "I'm saving the best for last. When I get back, you're both dead. Decide who gets the first bullet by the time I get back." Rafe walked out of the jet to find the others. Sami looked at EJ with fear in her eyes wondering if they would be able to save the boys and themselves.

* * *

><p>In a newly built secret underground compound on Melaswen, a fully bearded Colin Murphy began to realize that Rafe could be double crossing him. The compound was the only place on the island with cell reception. On the phone, Colin left a voicemail. "I'll try to call you back later, but I think Rafael Hernandez is double crossing me. I'll call you back when I get more proof."<p>

After hanging up, Colin looked at the cameras and spotted one group of kids leaving the old Salem Place replica. "Why the hell are they alone?" He tried to find the others. He found Manny, Sonny, Chad, and Will sitting on the crater. "They're still waiting for Rafe, but the others should be with them. Rafe should have called me by now. That fake charity dinner is probably over by now." Colin shook his head wondering if something went wrong. Through the camera system, Rafe was supposed to feed the video feed of all the kids being held hostage on the island to Chez Rouge. He wondered if Manny had the drug on him to at least give it to Chad, Will, and Sonny. Colin tried to call Rafe, but he did not answer. "What is your plan, Rafe?"

Colin looked through the rest of the cameras and stopped when he saw the yacht burning in flames. "This was not part of the plan. What does Manny think he's doing?" Colin realized that Rafe must have gotten to Manny behind his back. "I should have never trusted Rafe to do things right after he slipped the first time."

Colin thought back to how his plan for revenge on all the families of Salem would most likely fail again because Rafe went rogue just like last time. He remembered getting information on Rafe. Using that information, he approached Rafe and blackmailed him into a job he needed him to do. Through Sami Brady, he would be able to get the revenge on his enemies. He blamed the Brady and Horton families for leaving him behind when he fell into the ocean after their escape from Melaswen. He also wanted revenge on the Dimera and Kiriakis families for ruining his life. He hated Stefano for letting André take over while he was sick. Jennifer Horton and Nicole Walker were special targets as well.

The first plan was brilliant, Colin thought. He sent Rafe to Salem to destroy the families through Rafe becoming Sami Brady's protector while she was in witness protection. Rafe succeeded in tearing EJ and Sami apart by playing the 'good guy' role. Using Nicole's secret that she switched Grace and Sydney, Rafe was also able to make the Dimera family crumble as it put Stefano and EJ at odds with each other. He also used Nicole later to get proof on EJ causing the rift between Stefano and EJ to strengthen. Nicole's life was pretty much over after that.

With the Dimeras, Sami, and Nicole taken care of, Rafe moved onto his next target: Victor Kiriakis. Rafe pretended to want to work with him, but in all actuality had planned to get some dirt on Victor to make Titan fall. Unfortunately, Sami went into a coma and Victor cut all ties with Rafe, as Victor no longer trusted him. Eventually, almost all of Rafe's secrets came out: killing Emily, putting Sami in a coma, and then not being who he claimed to be.

Colin could no longer blackmail Rafe on Emily's death and figured Rafe would threaten Colin to help him if Colin did not want Rafe to tell everyone Colin hired him. Before that could happen, Colin reached out to Rafe and promised he would get Rafe out of prison. He would use the same drug that André used on everyone during the Salem Stalker 'murders'. Rafe agreed to Colin's conditions because he wanted his revenge on everyone now. Rafe and Colin shared the same goal now.

Colin needed to find someone to work for him while Rafe was in prison that had some kind of connection to Salem. When Manny was released from prison, Colin was waiting for him in the limo and introduced himself as a friend of Rafe's and a doctor. Luckily, Colin was able to convince Manny to help him as he claimed he would do anything for his brother. Colin told Manny that Rafe had a plan to get out of prison and wanted his help. The plan was not Rafe's plan, but Colin's. He lied to Manny because he wanted to make sure that if anything went wrong, Rafe could take the blame as being the mastermind.

Colin took Manny back to Melaswen to get things ready for Rafe's faked death. Colin found out about the Dimera prison informant and had him killed. Rafe spouting his mouth off in prison was not part of the plan. At that point, Manny asked Colin why he was helping Rafe. Colin told Manny that when he got to Salem, he wanted Manny to kidnap Jennifer to bring her back to the island. Manny agreed to Colin's request. Colin had Manny sneak in the drug, so that Rafe could take it before he 'hung' himself.

Colin's flashback was interrupted by a phone call. It was one of his informants. He picked up immediately. "Have you found Rafe anywhere in Salem?"

"No, sir." The informant answered back. "We are searching everywhere, but he's not where he's supposed to be."

Colin quickly became upset. "I was afraid that would be your answer. When I know my next move, you will know. Keep looking." Colin hung up frustrated with himself for trusting Rafe. He should have realized sooner that Rafe was a loose cannon and could not be trusted. Colin also realized that by helping Rafe fake his death, he gave Rafe more power to do things his way. The original plan was for Manny to bring Will, Chad, Abigail, and Sonny over to Melaswen to keep them captive until Victor and Stefano agreed to clear Rafe of all his convictions. Colin then planned to give the kids the drug to make them appear dead. He wanted Victor, Stefano, Jennifer, and Sami to suffer.

"I hate change!" Colin shouted as he hit his fist on the table. He knew he had to change his plans as Rafe was now working against him. Colin did not want to go down for anything. He wondered if Rafe escaped Salem somehow or if he found a new hiding place in Salem. He hoped he would show up somewhere.

* * *

><p>Chad and Will stopped making out as they were no longer comfortable laying out on the crater. Will turned over towards Manny and Sonny. "I think we should head back to the yacht." Will looked at the time on his watch. "It's a few minutes until midnight."<p>

Manny hated stalling, but knew they could not leave yet as he had not heard from Rafe. Manny pulled out his phone to check on the time. "Well, I want to stay here a little longer."

Sonny gave Manny a strange look. "Are you expecting a call or something? Chad and Will told me earlier that there is no phone service here."

Manny looked at his phone closer and realized that Sonny was right. He was able to get some reception on the yacht, but there was no reception on the island. He realized that Rafe never intended on calling him. He turned to Sonny. "I was just verifying the time. You're not ready to go back yet, are you?" he asked as he pulled Sonny closer to him.

Sonny pulled away. "Actually, I think we should head back to the yacht. The beds are definitely more comfortable than this. I mean this is a beautiful place to look out, but I don't want to fall asleep out here when we didn't bring pillows and stuff."

Chad sat up. "Sonny's right. We should head back. I'm sure the others are worried about us."

Will stood up and helped Chad up as well so they could grab the blanket and fold it. "Why do you want to stay so bad, Manny?"

Manny felt really uncomfortable and did not know what to do. He knew he could not answer Will's question truthfully as he did not want to give anything away. He stood up and helped Sonny up. "If you guys want to leave we can." He wondered what Rafe was doing back in Salem. He wondered if something went wrong. He knew he had to figure out an explanation for the yacht blowing up. If Rafe's plan failed, they were pretty much stranded unless Colin could help them out.

Dario overheard the others talking about leaving. He got up and hid, so they could pass him. He would follow them back. He looked over towards the guys and noticed someone walking towards them from the other side. Dario wondered if it was one of the other guys from the trip, but as the guy got closer, Dario realized it was his brother Rafe. "Rafe? What the hell is going on?" he whispered to himself wondering if he was seeing a ghost.

Rafe walked over towards the others as they finished packing their backpacks. Rafe pulled out a gun and made his presence known. "No one is going anywhere! It's time you all checked-out." Chad, Will, Sonny, and Manny turned around shocked to see Rafe standing there.


	74. Chapter 74 Here For You, Pt 1

**Chapter 74: Here For You, Pt. 1 – Friday, September 12th, 2011**

The Kiriakis jet flew over the Dimera jet. After everyone who was not parachuting out strapped in to a seat, a door on the side slid open so Arianna and Marco could parachute out. Arianna turned to Marco. "You ready for this?"

Marco turned to Arianna. "Ladies, first."

After Arianna and Marco jumped out, the door automatically closed again. Victor and Daniel immediately unbuckled and looked out the window. "Hope they find out what happened to EJ and Sami."

Stefano unstrapped his seat belt. "I hope so, too."

Daniel was ready to get back to the yacht. "I hope no one was in or by the yacht when it caught fire."

Victor put his hand on Daniel's back. "They will be fine. They better be!"

* * *

><p>Arianna and Marco landed and immediately unstrapped themselves from their parachutes. They made their way to the Dimera jet with their guns out in case there was danger. After carefully walking in, they discovered Sami and EJ handcuffed. Marco made his way over to EJ first. "Mr. Dimera, are you okay?"<p>

"Ah, Marco. It's good to see you." EJ showed Marco that he was stuck. "Rafe got on and knocked me out. He made us fly out here and then he killed the pilots."

"We are on some island. I believe your cousin owned it." Marco looked around to see if he could find something to free Sami and EJ.

Arianna walked over to EJ. "Did you say that Rafe held you hostage?"

EJ looked up at Arianna surprised to see her there. "Yeah. He's alive. He faked his death somehow."

Sami could not believe Arianna was there as well. "He threatened that he was going to kill Will, Chad, and Sonny. We have to stop him!"

Arianna turned to Marco. "Can you free them yourself? I don't want to waste any time. I need to find Rafe before he hurts anyone."

"Go ahead. I'll work on breaking their handcuffs," Marco replied.

Arianna turned back to Sami and EJ. "I'll stop Rafe!" She headed out of the jet with her gun hoping she would be able to stop Rafe before he had the chance to kill Will, Chad, or Sonny.

* * *

><p>Back on the crater, Manny stepped forward to Rafe and asked, "Rafe, what are you doing here? I thought you were staying in Salem until we bargained a deal with Victor or Stefano."<p>

Sonny looked at Manny in shock. "What are you talking about Manny?"

Rafe smirked at Manny. "There has been a change of plans."

Chad took Will's hand as Rafe continued to point his gun towards him. "I thought he was dead."

Will kept his attention on Rafe, but responded to Chad, "I thought so, too."

Manny could not believe that Rafe went behind his back and changed the plans again. "You promised me no one would get hurt. Why are you doing this?"

Rafe smiled. "I'm getting my revenge. Move out the way, Manny." Rafe motioned with his gun for Manny to move and then aimed it towards Chad and Will. "Now which one of you wants to die first?" Rafe moved the gun from Chad to Will, but then moved it over towards Sonny. "You're Victor's great-nephew, right?"

Sonny swallowed hard. "Yeah."

"I heard you fooled around with my brother and quickly moved onto my other brother." Rafe shook his head at Sonny. "You're the typical fag... slutty and horny!"

Dario watched as Rafe began to threaten the others' lives and realized he was right about Manny. He quietly made his way closer to Rafe so that he could stop him. Running out, he tackled Rafe to the ground and punched him in the face. Holding Rafe down and trying to get the gun from his hand, Dario yelled at the others, "Sonny, Chad, Will… run! Get out of here!"

Sonny, Chad, and Will looked at each other realizing they needed to get out of there. Sonny paused for a moment because he did not want to leave Dario there. "Dario!"

"I'll be fine, Sonny. Just go!" Dario yelled at Sonny as he continued to hold Rafe down.

Sonny followed Chad and Will into the woods. Manny looked over at Rafe and Dario as Rafe's gun went off. Manny rushed over as Rafe continued to struggle with Dario. Rafe turned to Manny. "Go after them! Don't let them get away! We need them so they can clear my name. No one's going to get hurt," Rafe lied.

Manny turned to the woods where the guys disappeared. "I'll get them. I'm not going to let this family down!" Manny got up and disappeared into the woods.

Rafe punched Dario in the face making him fall over. Rafe quickly straddled Dario and held him down after tossing his gun to the ground. "You really messed up Dario! Don't get in my way again!" Rafe punched Dario again knocking him out. He looked up in the direction the others ran to. Getting off Dario, he grabbed his gun and made his way into the trees.

* * *

><p>Nathan, Melanie, Gabi, T, Abigail, and Josh made their way back to where the yacht was, but stood back when they saw it in flames. "What the hell happened here?" Melanie asked confused about what happened to the yacht.<p>

Nathan stepped up to see if anyone was around. "I'm going to see if anyone's in the yacht."

Abigail stopped Nathan. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

T grabbed Gabi. "Do you think the guys got back?"

Gabi watched in horror at the thought. "They couldn't have come back by now. They said they were going to be out late, right?"

Josh agreed with Gabi as he realized the sound they heard earlier was around the time the sun set. "This is what we heard earlier when Gabi tripped on the Salem Place sign. Do you think it was electrical?"

Melanie looked back at them still concerned, "But they should have been back by now. It's after midnight. Where are they?" Melanie looked over and spotted someone walking towards them from the yacht. "Look, someone's walking over!"

Daniel walked closer after looking around the burning yacht. Spotting Melanie, he ran over to her. "Melanie!" As he hugged her, he continued, "I thought I lost you!"

"Dad, what are you doing here?" Melanie asked rather confused, but happy to see him.

Before Daniel could answer, Victor and Stefano walked up. Both looked around to see if they could find Chad or Sonny. Stefano began to worry. "Where are the other guys?"

"Chad, Will, Manny, and Sonny went in a different direction than us. They should have been back by now," Nathan answered.

Victor looked at Stefano as he wondered if the guys were in the yacht when it exploded or if Manny had them captive somewhere else. He then realized that he recognized this island. "Are we on Melaswen?"

Stefano nodded his head. "I heard a lot about this island, but never got to see it. André is a sick bastard. How could Rafe know about this island though?"

"Will someone tell me what the hell is going on?" Josh demanded to know.

Victor answered, "You guys have all been set up. Rafe set something in motion to get revenge on everyone's family here. He sent Manny to do his dirty work."

Gabi stood back in shock at the news. "No. That can't be right." She then remembered Manny's suspicious behavior and remembered Manny telling them to leave before sunset. He seemed so insistent. "Oh my gosh, Manny blew up the yacht!"

Daniel realized that one more person was not accounted for. "Where is Dario? Did he go with anyone on their treks?"

Abigail turned around. "No, I don't think so. Maybe he went by himself."

"I thought he was in bed when I was packing for our trek." T tried to remember if Dario was still in the yacht. He remembered seeing a lump in one of the beds. It looked like a body.

Gabi began to freak out even more as she wondered if Dario died in the yacht. "This is all my fault. Manny told me to take him with us and I completely forgot. I just wanted to get this over with."

Melanie, Abigail, and T surrounded Gabi and tried to comfort her, while Daniel turned towards Victor and Stefano. "I'm sure that Manny, Chad, Will, and Sonny were not on the yacht when it exploded. Manny took them somewhere specific it seems."

Stefano tried to contact Marco, but could not get through. "We have to find them before Manny hurts them!"

* * *

><p>Colin began to take off his clothes as he talked to a woman on the phone. "My plan has failed and Rafe Hernandez has most definitely gone rogue. He's actually going to kill the kids and I can't let him do that. I also noticed that the Dimera and Kiriakis jets are on the island. They are going to find Rafe and tear him to shreds. He's too much of a risk now." Colin finally pulled off his underwear and found some rags to put on. "I'm going to have to change things around. I'll call you when I get to Salem. You know what to do."<p>

After saying bye, Colin hung up the phone and placed it in a container along with his clothes. He wanted to bring a gun, but he knew he could not. After putting on the rags, he made his way out of the hidden compound. He grabbed some dirt and rubbed it all over his body including his face, beard, and hair.

* * *

><p>Back on the volcanic crater, Arianna found Dario knocked out on the ground. She rushed over to him and woke him up. After helping him up, Dario tried to explain what happened. "The others ran into the trees. I saw Rafe. He's alive!"<p>

Arianna stopped him. "I know. That's why I am here. We have to stop him and Manny before they kill anyone."

"Why is Manny doing this? This is not something he would do!" Dario tried to shake off being knocked out.

"Rafe got to him and probably made him feel guilty again." Arianna looked towards the trees. "Which way did they go?"

Dario pointed. "That way!" Dario and Arianna made their way into the trees.

In the woods, Chad, Will, and Sonny ran together hoping they could get away from Rafe and Manny. Sonny turned to the others. "We should split up and just hide from them."

The guys split and went in different directions. Sonny ran away from the others as he thought about how Manny had betrayed him. He still did not fully understand what was going on, but he hated that he did not listen to Dario even though Dario did piss him off in the bathroom.

Unfortunately, when the three guys split up, Manny decided to follow Sonny. Manny grabbed his walkie-talkie and tried to get a hold of Colin as he followed Sonny. "We have a huge problem. I think Rafe is out for blood. He's snapped! I don't know what to do. I'm going to keep on with the original plan and just hold at least one of them hostage so that they can clear Rafe's name!" Manny never got a response.

Manny sped up and was able to grab Sonny's shoulder and throw him down. Sonny tried to get up to run in a different direction, but Manny grabbed him and pulled a knife to his throat. Sonny yelled hoping someone would hear him. "Shut up, Sonny. I don't want to hurt you!" Manny hated having to threaten Sonny.

Sonny stood still. "You led me on just so you could use me. I thought you actually cared about me. What are you? Gay for pay? Who hired you?"

"You don't understand," Manny answered. "I told you I would do anything for my family. I did this for Rafe, so that he could live his life without having to look over his shoulder. You're my last chance of accomplishing that task. Don't take it personal." Manny held Sonny close to him trying to fight his bond with Sonny. "If you cooperate you won't get hurt." He hoped Sonny would cooperate.

Meanwhile, Dario and Arianna heard Sonny's yell. Dario lit up. "That was Sonny! We have to go this way!"

Arianna followed Dario in the direction of Sonny, but tripped and dropped her gun. "Ah…"

Dario helped up his sister quickly. "Are you okay?"

Arianna shook her head and realized her gun was gone. She began to look around for it, but could not see it as the moon only lit up so much of the area. "I can't find my gun! I didn't think to bring a flashlight."

Dario pulled her away. "We don't have time for that!"

Manny continued to hold Sonny in silence when he heard someone approaching. "Whoever is out there, come out slowly! If you try anything, Sonny will be dead!"

Arianna and Dario walked over slowly with their hands up. "We are not going to hurt you, Manny. Just let Sonny go." Arianna pleaded.

Manny was surprised to see Arianna there. "What are you doing here, Ari? Who's taking care of Mama?"

"Don't worry about Mama. She's fine." Arianna moved a bit closer to Manny. "What are you doing? This isn't you."

Dario kept his eyes on Sonny fearing that Manny might actually hurt him. He wondered if Manny had to kill anyone in prison to survive. This definitely was not the brother he remembered. "I hate what Rafe did to you, Manuel. Todos te queremos. Can't you see that Rafe is playing you just like he did last time?"

"Rafe would never play me!" Manny noticed that Arianna was getting closer. "Stay back, hermana. I'm doing this for Rafe and our family, so we all can be together again. We never got to be together because Mama had to give Rafe up to an orphanage. But he found us, remember? He loves us. We can all be together now!"

Arianna stood still and kept her hands up. "Manny, Dario's right. Rafe cannot be trusted. He's planning on killing Chad and Will for his own personal revenge. Everyone thought he was dead. He was planning on pinning everything on you just like when you took the fall for Emily's death." Arianna began to cry. "Manny, please stop this. Rafe lost his way long ago. We have been too blind to see that until now. He has always been selfish."

Manny shook his head and began to cry as well. "No, that wasn't the plan. He promised no one would get hurt!"

"You know he lied to you!" Dario shot back. "You saw the look in his eyes when he pulled that gun on Chad, Will, and Sonny. He wants to kill them." Dario looked over at Sonny and could see tears coming down his eyes. He saw fear. Dario looked back at his brother realizing he could not deny his feelings anymore. "Let Sonny go," he begged. "Don't you remember what you asked me at the Cheatin' Heart at my farewell party? You asked me what happened to my heart." Dario's eyes began to water. "If you hurt Sonny, I will lose my heart forever! You will be hurting our family! Mama! Ari! Gabi! And Me!"

Manny looked into his brother's eyes and immediately broke down and let Sonny go. He thought about how Sonny was just a job, but Sonny made him understand how Dario could fall in love with him. "I'm sorry," he cried as he dropped the knife and kneeled to floor in shame.

Sonny immediately ran into Dario's arms and cried. "I'm so sorry I didn't listen to you. I should have believed you."

As Dario held Sonny, Arianna rushed over to her brother and moved the knife out-of-the-way. Holding him, she kissed him on the head. "Manny, I will make sure that you get the lightest sentence possible. I don't want to see you waste away in prison again because of something Rafe did."

"I'm not worth anything. I'm just like Rafe," Manny replied as he cried. "I've lost my way. You can't save me."

Arianna continued to hold Manny. "Rafe would have killed Sonny. You let him go. I know that you don't have it in you."

As the four sat there trying to comfort each other and calm the situation, Chad and Will continued to run through the trees. Even though they agreed to split up, Will stayed close enough to Chad so he could keep an eye on him. Will looked over at Chad in the distance and realized Rafe was right behind Chad.

Rafe grabbed Chad and held him at gunpoint. "You are so dead, Chad! Stefano will be so sad that both of his sons are dying tonight."

Chad's eyes widened believing that Rafe had killed EJ. "You really are a monster!"

"Stop it Rafe!" Will shouted as he made his presence known. "Don't you dare shoot Chad!"

Rafe laughed at Will. "Oh, are you afraid I'm going to kill your fairy boyfriend?"

Will did not want to lose Chad. He knew he had to do whatever it took to keep Rafe from shooting Chad. "Kill me first! You know you want to! I'm Sami's first son!" Will hoped by giving himself up, Chad would have time to escape from Rafe.

"It's too bad your brother and sisters aren't here. It would make my job a lot easier!" Rafe shouted back. "Chad, do you think I should kill Will first?"

Chad looked into Will's eyes realizing that Will was trying to take his place. "No."

"It doesn't matter what Chad wants. It's what you want, Rafe. I know you want to shoot me first!" Will began to move closer to Rafe hoping he could stall and distract Rafe from making a move.

"Shut up, Will! Run and save yourself! I don't want to see you get hurt!" Chad yelled at Will. He wanted to make the sacrifice if it meant that Will could live.

Rafe smirked as he enjoyed watching Chad and Will argue over whom he would kill first. He loved seeing the fear in their eyes. "Whoever can convince me the most, I will shoot them first."

"I'm not going to let him hurt you, Chad." Will continued to move closer to Rafe. "I cheated on your sister Gabi. I kissed a guy when I was dating her!" he lied.

Chad looked over at Will with fear. He knew Rafe would pick Will first. "Shut it, Will!"

Rafe realized that Will was moving closer. He pointed the gun towards Will making Chad fear for Will's life even more. "You better stop it right there, Will. Walk any closer and this game is over!" Rafe pointed the gun back to Chad. "I think I want you to witness Chad's death so that you suffer for what you did to my sister before I kill you!"

Suddenly something small exploded above Rafe's head, but there was no trace of anything. He looked up for a moment to see what it was. Will took the opportunity to run towards Rafe to stop him. Rafe immediately turned back to Will and pointed the gun towards Will. Will yelled as a shot was heard.


	75. Chapter 75 Here For You, Pt 2

**Chapter 75: Here For You, Pt. 2 – Friday, August 12th, 2011 & Sunday, August 14th, 2011**

Everything happened so fast. As they heard a shot, Chad and Will looked at each other in fear. Chad yelled as Rafe's gun went off, "No, Will!" Will dropped to the ground, but so did Rafe as Chad escaped from his grasp. Chad ran over to Will immediately to make sure he was okay. "Will? Are you okay?" Chad shouted at him worried that Rafe shot Will.

"Chad?" Will turned around and looked into Chad's eyes. "Are you okay?"

Chad looked Will over and realized he was not hurt. As a tear fell down his face, he pulled Will up to kiss him. After they parted lips, Chad smiled as tears continued to fall down his face. "We're both okay." Will and Chad turned over to Rafe and realized he was not moving.

Will stood up with Chad and moved closer to Rafe. As they realized Rafe was shot in the head, they wondered how that happened. "This doesn't make sense. He had the only gun." They looked away so they would not have to see the blood surrounding the back of his head and all over his face, but jumped when they heard someone behind them.

"Are you two okay?" Colin asked Will and Chad as he held the gun that Arianna dropped earlier. He was happy that he found the gun on the ground. He was also happy that the cameras blew up at the right time to distract Rafe. Will and Chad turned around and raised their hands. Colin lowered the gun. "I'm not going to hurt you. I heard screaming and found this gun. I saw that this guy was going to kill you, so I took matters into my own hands."

Will looked Colin over and noticed he looked rather dirty. He also thought that Colin seemed familiar because of his accent. "Who are you? Why are you out here?"

Before Colin could answer, Sami, EJ, and Marco showed up. EJ and Sami were rubbing their wrists where the handcuffs had been. They looked at Rafe's body and realized he was dead. "Oh my gosh," Sami said rather shocked. She looked back over and saw Will and ran over to him to give him a hug. "Will, you're okay! We heard two gun shots and ran here as fast as we could!"

Chad walked over to EJ and Marco. Giving his brother a hug, he told EJ, "I thought Rafe had killed you. Why are you guys here?"

EJ put his arm around Chad's shoulder. "We came here to save you, but it looks like you guys took care of Rafe yourself."

Sami turned over and noticed Colin for the first time. She looked him over. Even though he had a beard and looked like he had been on the island for years, she recognized him. "Colin Murphy? Is that really you?" Sami remembered Rafe telling her that he was hired. "Did you have a hand in all of this?"

Chad walked over to Sami as Will stopped his mom from accusing Colin of anything. "Mom, he saved us. He's the one that shot Rafe before he could kill either of us. Colin saved us from Rafe."

"Will's right," Chad responded as he took Will's hand. "We're fine because of him."

"I'm sorry, I jumped on you like that. I don't know what to think right now… all things considered." Sami was still curious as to why Colin happened to be in the right spot at the right time. "So why are you out here?"

"I've been trapped here for years. Your family thought I drowned when we escaped the first time. I floated back here." Colin looked the place over. "This is Melaswen – or what's left of it anyway."

Sami and EJ looked at each other surprised. Both had never been on the island, but they knew what happened on the island. EJ did not want to go into detail and walked over to Colin and smiled. "Thanks for saving my brother and his friend. As your reward, you are finally going to escape it. You're going with us to Salem."

Colin smiled widely. "Thank you so much! I have survived on bird meat this whole time," he lied.

As Sami made a squeamish face Marco stepped up to EJ. "I'm going to try to get in touch with your father, Mr. Dimera."

"What about Sonny and Dario?" Will asked.

EJ patted Will on his shoulder. "We'll look for them. I'm sure they will be fine." EJ hoped Arianna was able to stop Manny.

* * *

><p>At the Dimera Mansion, Jennifer, who could not sleep because of worry, came over to talk to Kate about Manny and to see if she had any updates from Stefano. "Did you get a vibe from Sonny's boyfriend that he might be dangerous?" she asked.<p>

"I did not see anything in him that would make me think he was dangerous, but Rafe had us fooled for the most part before his dark secrets came out." Kate thought about her mistake again and worried that she would lose everyone that she loved because of her scheme to get Will and Chad together. She turned to Jennifer and remembered what Jennifer said to her at the Cheatin' Heart. In a moment of weakness, she opened up about her fear to Jennifer. "You told me this would happen. You told me I would end up alone because of my scheming and games."

Jennifer was surprised to see Kate so vulnerable. Jennifer remembered telling Kate that awhile back, but knew she could not gloat about it because of the situation all of them were in. "Kate, you need to think positive. We will get the kids back. No one will get hurt."

"No good deed goes unpunished. I thought this time would be different. I did this so that Chad and Will could be together," Kate admitted.

Jennifer was shocked to hear that Chad was gay, too. She wondered what that meant for Abigail. Jennifer did not know how to respond. Thankfully, Kate's phone began to ring. "Is that Stefano?"

Kate looked at her phone. "Yeah," she said quickly before picking up. "Stefano?"

"Everyone is okay," Stefano claimed from the other side. "We are about to leave to come back to Salem. We'll have to stop at Maddalena to fuel up first though."

"Oh, thank God." Kate smiled and looked over at Jennifer. "Fly safely!" Kate hung up and turned to Jennifer. "Everyone is okay. They're all flying back."

Jennifer smiled and cried tears of joy. "I should call Adrienne and Justin just in case Victor hasn't called them yet. We can all head to the airport to greet them there." Jennifer pulled out her phone to call them.

"I'll call Lucas," Kate said as she dialed his number.

* * *

><p>Marco flew the Dimera jet, while Sami, EJ, Will, Chad, Stefano, Sonny, Arianna, Gabi, Dario, Manny, and Colin sat in the main cabin. The others rode with Victor on his private jet. Sami sat next to Will and EJ. She held Will in her arms and did not want to let go of him. "I am so glad that you're okay. I thought I was going to lose you."<p>

"Well, I'm here. I'm going to be okay." Will wanted to change the subject because he did not want to think about what just happened. He wanted to focus on lighter things. "So how are things in Salem?" Will noticed that his mother made a look after he asked his question. He recognized the look she gave him. "You're not telling me something. Did something happen while I was away?"

Sami looked down as she answered, "It's your great-grandmother. She had a stroke earlier in the week. She woke up and will be fine, but she is struggling with some movement and cannot remember anything that happened the last two months."

Will could not believe it. "She doesn't remember your wedding, Sonny, and me being gay?"

"No, her last memory is the week after your graduation." Sami held Will's hand. "You have to be careful around her. She can't deal with stress."

As Sami and Will continued to talk, Stefano took Chad's hand. "I'm sorry that I pushed you away. I will always love you and see you as my son." Stefano cleared his throat as he was not used to apologizing. "I'm afraid I will lose you if you decide to be gay. Our family has dark secrets concerning homosexuality. Things did not end well," he admitted. "I don't really want to get into that though. What's important is that you're safe and that I can tell you that I am on your side."

Chad did not know what to make of what Stefano told him. He noticed that Stefano squeezed his hand to let him know that things would be different now. "Thanks, father."

Sonny watched as Stefano pulled Chad close to him. Gabi and Dario watched as well. Gabi turned to Sonny and felt guilty for what Manny did to him. "Why didn't you fly with Victor?" she asked Sonny.

Sonny turned to Gabi and Dario. "I did not want my great-uncle to apologize to me just because I almost died." Sonny thought about what Victor put him through to 'fix him'. He thought about Kinsey and wondered if he would ever find out what happened that night. "Honestly, I am not even sure he would apologize."

Dario glanced at Sonny and tried to distract himself. Watching him on the jet made him sad because he realized that the trip was over. Not that he wanted Rafe and Manny's plan to continue, but more about the fact that his chance of hanging out with Sonny outside of real life was coming to a close. Soon he would head to Alaska and be away from everyone in Salem. He glanced at Sonny again and thought about the confession he made about his feelings when Manny had a knife to Sonny's neck. Even though he had admitted to how he felt out loud he knew he could not act on his feelings. Dario knew he would miss Sonny.

Manny sat next to his sister in cuffs. He could not believe Rafe was really dead this time. Arianna grabbed Manny's hands. "You will have to come forward about everything if you want a chance of not going to prison." Arianna noticed that Manny would not look at her. She believed that it was due to everything that happened, but then realized he was looking at Colin. "Do you know him?"

Manny shook his head and looked over to Arianna. "Never seen the man in my life," he lied. "Is it true he is the one that killed Rafe?"

"Yeah," Arianna said as she looked down. She did not know what to think of Rafe faking his death only to die on the island. She knew Colin had to kill Rafe to stop him. She wondered how she would break the news to her mother. She looked over at Gabi and worried that Gabi would not be able to handle what happened with Rafe and Manny.

Even though Manny hated that his brother was dead, he was glad that Colin stopped Rafe before he brought more shame to the family. He knew if Rafe succeeded in killing the other guys, Gabi would not be able to take it. He also would have felt worse for helping Rafe murder them. "I'm going to tell the cops everything that Rafe did. He put this all together. He played me and other people just to get what he wanted. I know it won't make up for what I did, but I hope I can repair some of the damage I've done to our family."

Having heard Manny talking to Arianna, Sonny turned around to talk to him. "My father will represent you if you need a lawyer. He can help you."

Manny gave Sonny a strange look. "Why are you being so nice to me after what I did to you?"

Sonny gave Manny a half-smile. "I don't want you to waste your life away. I believe deep down you have a good heart, Manny."

Manny looked down in shame as Arianna nodded her head at Sonny. Dario and Gabi were also thankful for Sonny's kindness.

* * *

><p>Everyone returned to Salem that day. After recuperating from what happened, Roman, Bo, and Hope questioned everyone on what happened on the island. Saturday was slow as everyone decided to stay home or spend time with family.<p>

On Sunday afternoon, almost everyone gathered at the Dimera Mansion for a party to celebrate everyone surviving the horrors of the week before. Chad and Will walked down from Chad's room to mingle with the others. Will tried to grab Chad's hand, but Chad moved his hand away. Will looked over at Chad and noticed that Chad was pretending that nothing happened. A bit annoyed, Will took a step away from Chad to give him space. "I'm going to hang out with Sydney and my mom."

Will left Chad and walked over to his mother. "I saw great-grandma earlier at the hospital. She smiled at me. I can't remember the last time she did that."

Sami, who was holding Sydney, gave Will a hug. "Will, it will be okay." Sami could see that Will was taking things hard. "What are you thinking?"

"That I'm to blame," Will admitted as he grabbed the back of his neck. "I caused her to have a stroke because I'm gay."

"You did not cause her to have a stroke, Will." Sami gave Will a gentle look. "Don't blame yourself for this. These things happen." Sami gave him another hug. As Sami hugged him, Sydney gave Will a kiss on the cheek causing Will to smile.

After Will walked away from him, Chad made his way over to his brother and father. He felt guilty for blowing Will off, but he was not ready to be public. "There's something we need to talk about."

Stefano and EJ turned to give Chad their full attention. "What is it, son?"

"I'm moving out of the mansion. It won't be for good, but I think it's better if I lived somewhere else during the school year. I want to focus on school without other stuff getting in the way."

"I hope father and I aren't included in the other stuff," EJ joked.

"No, I'll stop by and visit, but I think it would be best if I got out of the family business. I don't mind doing things for you during my breaks, but I just need to focus on school." Chad smiled hoping they would understand he was not trying to break off from them completely.

Stefano smiled and gave Chad a hug. "I understand. I want you to be happy. If you ever need anything let me know."

"We'll have a job waiting for you when you graduate," EJ replied. "Also, give us a list of when you're on break, so you'll never have any rest," he teased.

Melanie noticed that Abigail did not want to be there. Taking Nathan's hand, she turned to both of them. "If you want, we can go back to my place or your place to watch a movie or something."

Abigail appreciated Melanie's suggestion. "It's too bad Josh had to work some high school end of summer party today." Abigail looked around and spotted Chad with his father and EJ.

Nathan spotted Abigail looking at Chad and realized her being here was not good for her. He placed his free hand on Abigail's shoulder. "Let's go home and watch a movie."

Abigail turned back to Nathan and Melanie. "Okay. I should tell my mom that I'm leaving."

Melanie, Nathan, and Abigail walked over to Jennifer, who was talking to Daniel, Lexie, and Abe. Melanie gave her father a hug. "We're leaving." Abigail told her mother the same thing.

"Okay, you guys have fun," Daniel said. "Text me when you get there." Daniel smiled as Melanie nudged him for being overprotective. After Melanie, Nathan, and Abigail left, Daniel turned to Lexie and Abe. "I don't know if this is appropriate to say, but the fact that you two are here makes me feel better about being in this house. I've heard this house has many secrets."

Lexie smiled. "Oh, I understand. I've had bad memories here and it took me a while to come back after that happened. I've tried to change that over the years by creating new good memories in this house."

Jennifer smiled. "And today is one of those good memories." Abe, Lexie, and Daniel agreed.

Daniel turned to Abe. "So can you tell us anything about what the cops are doing with what happened on that island?"

Abe scratched his head. "Well, even though we can't charge Rafe because he's dead, he has been found guilty of all the crimes he committed since he escaped prison. Manny may take the fall for the informant's death, but we are not sure if he was the one that killed him. He admitted to stealing the number from EJ's cell phone, but he claims he did not kill the man."

"I know that has to be hard for Dario, Gabi, and Arianna. First Rafe becomes a living nightmare, and now their other brother might have killed a guy to protect Rafe's plan." Lexie shook her head.

Abe gave Lexie a kiss. "I'm going to check on Theo upstairs to make sure he's still having fun with Johnny and Mary."

As Abe made his way upstairs, Gabi and Arianna arrived. Arianna made Gabi come with her so she would not have to show up alone. Arianna turned to Gabi. "Are you going to be alright? We won't stay long. I just need to talk to EJ about something." Arianna noticed that Justin was there as well. "I also need to talk to Justin about Manny's case."

"Yeah, I'll be fine." Gabi looked the place over hoping to find Abigail or Melanie. She turned and spotted Sonny walking away from his parents towards them. She felt uncomfortable because she did not know what to say to him.

"Hey Gabi and Arianna," Sonny greeted them nervously.

"You can call me Ari, Sonny." Arianna smiled. "If you'll excuse me, I am going to talk to your parents."

After Arianna left, Sonny thought about how he had not seen Dario since the police questioned them about what happened on the island. "Where's Dario? I was hoping to talk to him about something."

Gabi looked down and hated to be the one to tell him the news. "Dario could not make it because he's flying out tonight and has to be at the airport early."

Sonny scratched his head. "Wait. I thought he was flying out tomorrow night."

Gabi hated being in the middle of Sonny and Dario's relationship. "He decided to take an earlier flight so he could see our mother before he flew out to Alaska from there."

Sonny looked away feeling hurt that Dario never told him that he changed his plans to leave. He wanted to tell Dario not to go, but now Dario made it clear to him that he wanted nothing to do with him. "Oh."

Gabi noticed that Sonny seemed disappointed. She did not understand how Sonny, Chad, and Will could feel something more than friendship for each other. She began to shake her head as she spoke, "I don't understand how Dario could love you in that way."

Sonny's eyes lit up from what Gabi said. Sonny knew he could not give up. "Wait, when was he going to head to the airport?"

Gabi looked at her phone for the time. "In the next half hour I guess."

"Thanks!" Sonny exclaimed. "I have to go." Sonny rushed out of the Dimera Mansion leaving Gabi standing there alone and confused.

* * *

><p>At the Salem Police Department, Roman took a cleanly shaved Colin to his office to talk. Roman gave Colin a calm look. "Well, you're a free man. There's no way to disprove your story as it appears you have lived on that island for years." Roman looked through some paperwork. "When we escaped the island, those that made it back to Salem cleared your name of all the charges because you helped them escape. It's not your fault that André faked your death just like he did with me and the others. He held you hostage just like us because you would not do his dirty work. Nicole told us that you turned down his offer to help and that's why he held you hostage." Roman paused for a moment before continuing, "I want to personally thank you for saving my grandson's life. Before I let you go, do you have any questions?"<p>

Colin shook his head. "No, sir."

Roman stood up and uncuffed Colin's hands. "Do you need a ride or any help to get anywhere?"

"No, thank you. I think I will stay in Salem for a while. I can find my own way." Colin smiled. "It's good to be free and not on an island."

"If there's anything that we can do for you, let me know." Roman opened his door and let Colin walk out.

Colin made his way out of the police station and walked by a guy. As they walked by each other, the man gave Colin a cell phone. After the man walked away, Colin dialed a number. When the woman answered, Colin greeted her. "I'm free and in Salem. I think everything is going to work out after all."

"Excellent," the woman replied. "What about the other Hernandez brother?"

"I promise to you and myself that I will never work with another Hernandez again," Colin replied. "I don't think Manny will be a problem. We spoke and he thinks I saved the day. Everyone does."

* * *

><p>Sonny waited outside of the airport looking everywhere for Dario. He hoped he had not missed him already. He watched a cab pull up, but Dario was not inside. He sighed and looked a different direction. "Dario?" he said to himself. He walked closer and realized that he did spot Dario coming out of a different cab with his luggage. He rushed over to him and stopped him from going inside. "Dario, you can't leave without at least saying goodbye."<p>

Dario could not believe that Sonny found out he was leaving early. Looking down, he replied. "I'm not good at goodbyes."

Sonny placed his hands on Dario's shoulders. "Don't leave then. Dario, I love you and I know that you love me, too! I saw it in your eyes when Manny held me hostage."

Dario tried avoiding eye contact with Sonny. "I only said that to protect you – to make Manny let you go."

"You're lying and you know it! What you said about me to your brother was real. I could feel it!" Sonny called Dario out. "You won't even look at me."

Dario finally looked up and into Sonny's eyes. Quickly, tears formed in his eyes as he replied, "The reason I need to leave is because I can never give in and give you what you want." Dario pulled Sonny in for a hug. He laid his head on Sonny for a moment not wanting to let go, but pulled his head back and gave Sonny a quick, but passionate kiss on the lips. Dario massaged Sonny's shoulders as he continued, "You need to move on and find someone who will treat you better."

Sonny was speechless and watched as Dario walked into the airport to check in. He watched as Dario moved on to go through security. Tears began to fall from his face as Dario disappeared into the crowd. "Bye Dario."

* * *

><p>Chad and Will decided to head upstairs for some alone time. Chad immediately shut the door and grabbed Will to kiss him. Chad broke from Will feeling bad for what happened earlier. "I'm sorry that I am not comfortable doing stuff in public. I understand if you want to date someone else."<p>

Will grabbed Chad's hand not wanting to make a big deal of it. "I love you Chad and I'm not going to let you go. I don't want to push you into anything you're not ready for."

Chad did not want Will to make a commitment unless he was sure this is what he wanted. "It's more than PDA. I'm not ready for anyone else to know about us being together. School is about to start and I'm not ready to take that step. Are you sure I'm not too much of a closet-case as Sonny would say?"

Will squeezed Chad's hand. "We will keep our relationship a secret until you're ready to go public." Will gave Chad a kiss. "Besides, I have to keep it a secret from my great-grandma because she can't deal with the stress right now and doesn't remember that I'm gay and what she did." Will smiled at Chad trying to forget about what happened with Caroline. "I dare you to let me love you."

Chad smiled. "Thanks. Only if you let me love you, too."

"That shouldn't be a problem." Will let go of Chad's hand to grab something from his pocket. "I almost forgot. I wanted to give this to you. I got this when we were in Maddalena. It's nothing special, but it seemed like something you couldn't find in the states."

Before Will could show him his gift, Chad rushed over and opened a drawer. "I got you something from Maddalena as well." Chad pulled a necklace out of the drawer and brought it over to show it to Will. Both of them realized they got each other the same necklace. "Ha. Our minds must have connected when we bought it."

Will laughed as they exchanged necklaces. "Yeah. It's a good thing they're not exactly the same color." Will gave Chad a kiss. "Will you put it on me?"

"Sure." Chad turned Will around and grabbed Will's necklace after putting his in his pocket. As he put the necklace on Will, he said, "I love you, Will. I never want to let you go." After he was done, Chad hugged Will from behind.

Will looked down at his necklace. "It's your turn. Turn around so I can put yours on."

Chad kissed Will on the back of his head. "I told you I never want to let you go." Getting a bit serious, he continued. "I promise that I will always protect you." Chad thought about what happened on their trip.

Will turned around and placed his hand on Chad's cheek. Looking into his eyes, he replied, "I already told you I'm not going anywhere. I love you, too."

* * *

><p>Outside of the Dimera Mansion, Lexie walked out holding Theo as he slept. She spotted her mother waiting by her car. Heading down to the car, she spoke softly, "Thanks mom for picking up Theo. Abe left earlier to talk to Roman and I want to stay and talk to father and EJ for a bit longer."<p>

"It's no problem, darling." Celeste smiled as she helped Lexie put Theo in the car. "I noticed that the mansion in the next plot over is up for sale."

Lexie stood up after making sure Theo was secure in the back of Celeste's car. Putting her hands on her hips, she responded, "I doubt that place will ever sell because no one in their right mind would want to live next-door to my father." Lexie noticed that her mother shivered and wrapped her arms around her body. "Are you feeling okay? You're holding yourself like it's cold. It's hot out here."

Celeste unwrapped her arms. "I'm fine, Alexandra. I just got a chill." She began to look around and then to the sky. "I fear things are not over. There's something in the air and it does not feel right."

**THE END**

_Thanks for reading! Stay tuned..._**  
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